Waiting For Somebody
by BOWIEgirl
Summary: Law and Order crossover.SPOILERS. Meeting the family. Getting a new job.
1. Waiting For Somebody

**PLEASE READ**. This is a thread from a roleplay I've joined, Great Big Apartment. You should join to xD Cuz its fun and awsome and I love it. Email/message/IM me for the link. Or you could ask **Operatic** too. Which brings me to another thing, the ever lovely **Operatic** played Cha-Cha, and I Ed Green. Much love to her:) Send her fan mail xD

Sorry if this is a tad jumpy. It flows a lot easier if you read it in sections on a message board. Whatever says "he" assume its referring to Ed, "she" for Cha-Cha. I could put lines between each of our parts if that would help. Let me know. :) This is our first thread. Story will be updated as we finish :)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Flawless or Law and Order. Heck I don't even own half this story. Whatever involves Ed is mine. I got permission from Operatic to post this.

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**Waiting for Somebody**

Cha-Cha had no plans for the day, which seemed to be a growing trend lately. Sometimes she wondered why she moved. She didn't have many connections around her new place. And she missed her friends. Not that Ivana and Grace were that far away, but they barely saw one another anymore. Cha-Cha knew she couldn't figure out the subway alone, and she doubted Ivana and Grace could together either. Rusty might be able to, but Cha-Cha knew she was busy, with Mr. My Left Foot and all. Who she also missed, though she really doubted that was mutual.

_That's it. Next person who walks through that door, I'm buying their lunch. Or splitting the cost, or something_, she thought to herself, resting her chin in her hand. Why not? She'd met people in stranger places, in stranger ways before. It didn't matter who they were, where they were from, how they were dressed...well, okay, _maybe _that last one. But really, what was she gonna lose?

Ed checked his watch, and with just over half an hour of his sixty minute lunch break left, he headed for the Life Cafe. He'd spent the first part trying to convince Lennie he could take a break from their case, pausing for lunch wouldn't hurt. Opening the cafe's door, he was surprised by the lack of people inside. It was normally bursting around noon. Aw well, he never did like crowds.

There. Cha-Cha uncrossed her legs and got up as soon as the door swung open. She's already said, it didn't matter what quality the person was, as long as he or she was breathing and clothed. But she couldn't help but think as she approached the man that this was not a bad choice at all.

"Hi," she approached the man, Miss Flawless Pageant smile intact immediately. "My name is Cha-Cha and I thought I'd by you lunch." She paused. "Well, not you specifically, but really just the next person who walked in, which happened to be you. I'm in a giving mood," she finished, the smile not leaving her face despite how awkward the situation might have been.

Ed blinked. He wasn't prepared for this. Who would be? His ability to speak failed. "I, uh, thank you?" He was so confused. But although surprised, this person's smile was contagious, and he couldn't help but let a small grin shine through. He couldn't tell if he was glad he chose to walk in when he did, or if he would have preferred just eating solo. He supposed he'd find out soon enough.

"You're welcome," Cha-Cha replied, doing her best not to come on too strong. Which wasn't easy, considering she was inviting herself to lunch with a stranger. Normally she wouldn't care so much. But she had a bad feeling she'd driven some of the their tenants away...of course, some of them were snooty anyway. Bit still... "What's your name?" she asked the man, hoping to get off on the right foot.

"Ed," he said, standing there still for a moment before offering a hand. Where were his manners? "And your name?" He hadn't caught it when she stopped him.

"Cha-Cha de los Santos Perez Cueva," Cha-Cha replied, unable to stop her whole name from popping out. It was habit now. Though she knew that may have been a big reason she scared so many people off. "But just call me Cha-Cha," she added, shaking Ed's hand.

Ed grinned at the long name. Beautiful, in a fun tongue tying kind of way. He stared at her just a little too long before asking, "Did you have a table already?"

"I was sitting over there. But I've got no emotional attachment to it or anything," Cha-Cha shrugged, motioning to the table she'd sat at before. She hadn't ordered, and her purse was safely over her shoulder. "Is that okay? Or do you want to go somewhere else?"

"Here's good, actually. Lunch break's almost up..." He suddenly felt irrationally angry at his partner for being so stubborn and not leaving the station. If Lennie had left when Ed wanted to he could have been here much earlier. But then, if Lennie was working through the lunch hour...there was no need for Ed to rush back, right? "Here," he repeated, moving toward the table. "Close to the precinct if they call and harass me."

"The precinct?" Cha-Cha raised her eyebrows as she sat down. She wasn't the hugest fan of crime movies, so she didn't hear that word awfully often. But she knew what it meant. "So you're a policeman? Or...?" she asked. She'd never met a policeman before. Aside from Mr. My Left Foot, but he was retired so it didn't count. Not in her book anyway.

"Detective," he said a little too proudly. He kicked himself. There goes that ego, he though, bigger than ever since he'd been promoted. He didn't know why the urge to impress his guest with his position had popped up, and he didn't really know if it would. "But," he added, automatically starting to fix a few misconceptions that always followed his title. "I'm not a _private _detective like in some movies, who follow cheating husbands around."

"Oh..." Cha-Cha nodded her head. That was only a little disappointing. "What do you do then?" she knew little of detectives outside the movie ones. She supposed it was probably something like in Sherlock Holmes...follow the clues and find the culprit.

"I'm a homicide detective," he said. "Get a call, visit the scene, take down statements, hunt around and track down the killer. It's a very rewarding-and dangerous-line of work, and I enjoy it. Well," he paused a moment. "As much as...well, d'you know what I mean?" He didn't like the fact someone died, but catching the murderer helped him feel like he made a dent in the amount of crime in New York, however little.

Cha-Cha nodded. "Yeah...kind of," she added softly on the end. She though she did anyway. Though she wasn't sure what to say about it being dangerous. Be careful? They just met. And besides, he probably heard that all the time. Thinking before she spoke? It was true. She was spending way too little time with her girls. She was almost acting sensibly. The fact she'd approached a random stranger kept her at almost, but still. "Have you been doing that for long? I mean..." she trailed off, shrugging. She could never tell how old people were. He looked a little old, but she didn't want to insult him either. There she went again!

"I started at the bottom in the Gang Unit awhile back, but I worked my way up over the years." As he counted silently in his head, he surprised himself. Time flies. "Eight years as a detective," he said, not offering the Gang Unit time, suddenly feeling very much older than his pretty young lunch partner.

"Eight years?" Cha-Cha asked in surprise. That was...almost older than she was. Well...not quite. But it was a long time to be doing the same thing over and over again. She wasn't even sure she could do it...it would probably drive her crazy. Er. "That's just...a long time. I mean, I guess if you like it and everything, but...eight years!" Cha-Cha repeated.

Ed chuckled. "My partner's been doing it even longer. Probably longer than both of us have been alive," he added with a grin. He let that sink in, hoping to make himself appear just a pup in comparison, before asking, "How about you, Cha-Cha?" Ed said, testing out her name tentatively. "What do you do?"

"How's that possible?" Cha-Cha asked with wide eyes, clearly confused. She could sort of see for herself, as she'd only been alive for twenty...for...well...an early twenty number of years. No need for specifics. But Ed had to be at least thirty-five. "How could you stay in a job that long? I mean, even if you enjoy it...how do you do the same thing every day, for all that time, without going crazy?" she asked, generally confused. Of course, the longest lasting job she'd ever had was at a fast food restaurant when she was seventeen. But it was bad for her complexion, and besides...she was a little too interested in a co-worker than was probably considered decent. "Well...I don't exactly keep a steady job," she admitted, and for the first time in her life wondered what Ed would think of that. He'd been working in a pretty respectable position for eight years. he probably had a nice place and a car. She competed in pageants, performed, and...well, mooched. Most of what she wore was from Salvation Army or made by Rusty, she rode the bus (or roller-skated), and sometimes felt like she lived off cereal. "Different things..." she answered after a second.

"Well, Lennie's been more than just a detective. You have to work your way up through different things, and he seemed to hop around more than I did. I went as fast as I could up the ladder, he took his time." He pondered what she'd just said. She thought it was odd that he kept a job so long. He thought it was strange not to. He'd always been set on establishing a career in this field, and had never wavered. But now...he wondered if he'd missed out on something by not trying out...well, anything other than police work. "Different things..." he absently repeated, trying not to stare at her as he attempted to imagine what a girl, er...yes, girl like her would be doing.

Cha-Cha nodded her head, though she wasn't sure how you could do either. Then again, she'd never considered herself really...a career person. Which wasn't a good way to be when you wanted to actually live. She always seemed to scrape by though. She'd never considered the process of getting one before.

"I perform," she clarified. It might not have been as helpful as being a detective or a doctor or something, but she enjoyed it. And she was good at it. "Which doesn't really pay too much. But I do pageants too, including the big one...Miss Flawless. Which I've won three times," she made sure to add. Nobody ever accused her of being modest.

Ed grinned. Of course she won. He'd only known her for an afternoon, and she already had his vote. He wanted to say he knew which pageant she meant, although he had never actually been in the building, but he was on the clock, and even without a partner around, the fact he'd been eyeing that place had to stay silent.

"Where do you perform?" he asked automatically. Whoa, what'd we just go over, he thought. Keep it on the down low. "I mean, are there enough places to keep you busy, or do you just go to one, or..." How could he make this look like interest in the business and not her...? Gah.

"Just one mostly. My best friend, she plays the piano and kind of...emcees it," Cha-Cha replied. Well...this was a change. The last time a man was interested in her was...it had to have been before she moved. Most of the men in the apartment were either straight or taken though. She had no idea what Ed's status was, of course. She saw no ring, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. And she got a 'straight' vibe, but she'd been wrong before. "The Busty Rusty show," Cha-Cha named it, and hoped that wouldn't scare him away.

His eyes light up. "Oh I've-" Down low. _Down low_. "...no, I don't think I've heard about that one." In order to prevent her seeing his frustrated expression, he focused on slowly sipping the coffee he hadn't noticed before. When enough time seemed to have passed to change subjects, he racked his brain for something distracting to say.

But he _really _wanted to know more.

"What kind of performing is it?"

"It's really not one set act...everybody kind of does their thing. A lot of people sing, me included. Every year you get a couple girls who either want to be original or are tone deaf, and they do something different. A lot of people do impersonations with their song, you know?" Cha-Cha asked him. She couldn't help but notice how...uncomfortable he seemed. Well...that was his problem, not hers. Though, if he really had a problem, he'd leave, right? "You should see, one of my best friends does an amazing Marilyn Monroe."

He didn't follow the impersonations part until she mentioned Marilyn Monroe, and then it clicked. He felt silly. Nodding in agreement, he said he would have to check it out. Ed hoped she could read more into what he was saying, since he wouldn't allow himself to come right out with it. Not on the clock.

And speaking of that, he feared he'd be missed soon.

"You should..." Cha-Cha agreed, raising her eyebrow a bit. He was definitely hiding something that was for sure. She wasn't always the best at reading people, but she wasn't blind. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered. "Just, I think my lunch hour ended..." Ed checked his watch, "...about twenty minutes ago." He chuckled slightly, not really too worried about being late. He moved to get up, but then settled back on his chair, almost cautiously. "I should be fine though." Lennie probably hadn't noticed yet. "Do you have to be anywhere?" He hoped he wasn't making her late for anything.

"Oh," Cha-Cha replied, trying not to feel disappointed. She enjoyed his company, even more than she thought she would. But of course he couldn't spend all day talking to her. But just a little longer would've been nice... "Nowhere for me, no. Though if you have to go I understand, I don't mind," she lied.

"Well..." Ed tapped his fingers against the tabletop, both frustrated that he had to leave, and nervous about finishing his sentence. "What about later?"

Almost instantly, Cha-Cha felt better about him leaving. As long as it was a later and not a never, she was happy. "I'd like that," she replied, and it was obvious she meant it. "When later? Tonight, tomorrow...?"

Ed smiled widely at her reaction and downed the rest of his coffee. His cell phone chirped from his coat pocket, and after eying the caller ID flashing 'Briscoe', he hit END. He needed a few more minutes, Lennie'd understand.

He laughed slightly, but wasn't very surprised, that her first suggestion had been for this evening. Well, why not? "I'm off around eight tonight," Ed started. "So, eight thirty...nine?"

"Eight thirty nine. Okay," Cha-Cha nodded her head, mentally going over what she had to do before then. Somehow she needed to get across town and consult Rusty. Somehow, she'd have to brave the subway. Even she wasn't so sure why she was so excited, she'd been asked out plenty of times. In a friendship setting or otherwise. Maybe it'd just been so long since a man had shown any attention at all, the fact Ed was made it all the more special. "Where? Here?"

Ed laughed. Too adorable. "Well, I meant eight thirty _or _nine." He wondered if he ought to offer to pick her up, or if they should meet somewhere. His car wasn't exactly the type to stand out, so there was no real worry about being seen at her place. Of course, if he were in any other position than an officer, he wouldn't give a second thought to strolling down the street beside her. Similar to his college days with Starr, a brief period of his life he'd kept quiet. But the cop in him knew better than to be that obvious. Who knew who they'd run into.

She hadn't mentioned anything about being a drag queen, and he didn't see any rational reason to point out that he knew. It was, in his opinion, something anyone would realize. Although she was so beautiful and convincing, he assumed gentlemen with a little too much to drink during her performances were fooled. Still, he felt like he ought to verbalize that he wasn't an idiot, and it hadn't gone over his head. But he couldn't think of a tactful way to put it.

"Let's meet here," Ed decided. "At eight thirty nine," he added with a grin.

"Eight thirty nine works though. It's a good in the middle number. Eight forty five would probably be better in that case but...well who cares about fractions," Cha-Cha replied, and tried not to seem too eager. Even though she was, very. It'd just been so long since she'd been out with...anyone, date or otherwise. She couldn't help it. "I guess I'll see you then."

"Yeah," he said, standing. Now what? He didn't know her well enough to give a hug goodbye, and a handshake seemed...too blah. His fingers flexed, hands hanging at his side awkwardly. He grabbed his coat and began to put it on to stall. "See you later." He gave her shoulder a light squeeze.

"Bye," Cha-Cha replied, smiling up at him. She felt...she just felt different. It was unusual for her to get embarrassed, but there she was, grinning at him like an idiot. It just...it'd been so long since she'd met anyone like him. Since she'd been out with someone and just had a good time. Maybe what she was feeling for Ed was magnified because of that but...she didn't want to think that way. She felt too good.

Ed ignored the vibrating phone in his pocket. He knew it was Lennie, who apparently had looked up from his work for once, and Ed was on his way back now anyway. Aside from that, he wanted a moment to really soak in what had just happened. He was very, very glad he had been the man to walk in and find her waiting.

The only issue was what to tell his partner. He'd been single for years, or at least that's what the precinct thought. He kept his private life _private_. But Ed knew he wasn't going to be able to hide his expression, he wanted to tell someone of this chance meeting, and Lennie didn't have to be told _everything _about her.


	2. I Should Tell You

This was taken from a roleplay I'm in with **Operatic**. She played Cha-Cha, so send her fan mail :)

If putting the lines between our posts would make this easier to read, let me know. Sometimes the dialogue may seem to be odd, but thats because Ed might say two lines, and Cha-Cha responds to both, but the response for the first part comes after his second. Um. Am I making sense? Oh well xD Just read it, you'll get it. I got permission from **Operatic **to post this.

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Ed bumped his way up the subway steps, and quickly walked the few blocks to the Life Cafe. He was a bit early, but he would rather be waiting for her than the other way around.

He had mentioned to Lennie that he had dinner plans with someone he met that afternoon, and all his partner had to go on was that it was a gorgeous stranger that had stopped him in the cafe. As Ed glanced around at the flyers posted on every inch of a bulletin board, he smiled at what his partner had mumbled on his way out. _Young guys have all the luck._

Well, Ed hoped that was true. He hadn't been this attracted to someone in a while, and was already planning on asking to see her again. But what normally killed it was when he explained how discreet he has to keep relationships, being a cop and all. He hated how that scared so many away.

Touching her lips gently to make sure the lipstick was smooth, Cha-Cha rushed down the street as best she could. She was late. Why did she do it? She was practically obsessing, making sure things were perfect, and by the time she headed out the door it was 8:34. Which was already five minutes after they said they'd meet. Put in the time it took to get down there, in heels...and she was basically screwed.

Cha-Cha felt immediately less tense as she saw him there though. She'd half expected him to have left, to have figured she wasn't coming at all. "Hi," she got out, a little out of breath but doing okay. If she had a watch, it would probably be at least 8:50. "Sorry."

"Hey," he grinned. "No problem, I just got here myself," he lied. Why make her feel bad, he hadn't minded. Besides, she obviously had done her best to get down here. He glimpsed her impossibly high heels. Impressive.

"Did you want to stay here, or go some place nicer?" He remembered her mentioning her work not paying much, and assumed that limited her choices on the average night. Lunch had been her treat, dinner would be his. He was ready to suggest a few places if she was too worried about prices to mention them. He wasn't rich, but he could splurge one night.

"Oh, okay," Cha-Cha replied. "Good." She'd been stood up a million times before, and had stood other people up too for that matter. But this time, she didn't want for it to happen. She cared. It was her first date in forever, and she didn't want to mess it up. Not yet, anyway. If it happened, she wanted to be able to redeem herself.

"Someplace nicer...?" she asked hesitantly. The Life Cafe was about as nice as it got for Cha-Cha. And it was pretty nice, a coffee (well, a frappa lappa cino or whatever she got) and a muffin were pretty affordable. "How nice honey? Like..." she trailed off, trying to think of a nicer place. She wasn't sure she knew any. She left the question open ended, shrugging.

Ah hah, he'd been right. "Have you seen anything you'd like to try?" he asked. Ed didn't want to make her go if she wouldn't feel right, but he also wanted to...well, impress wasn't how he'd put it. Make it an above average evening.

Cha-Cha tried to think of somewhere she'd want to go. She'd been to a fancy restaurant once or twice, usually if she were lucky enough to go with somebody a little better off. But the problem was, a lot of them had dress codes. And apparently, black sparkly scarves didn't fall under the black tie requirement for men. And most of her sweaters weren't counted as suit jackets. So she kept her distance when she could. Even when her outfit wasn't looked down upon (too much), a lot of the items on the menu cost more than her rent. "I don't really know that many places. This is about as far as I go when it comes to eating out," she admitted, gesturing to the door. "So I'm not really too picky over here."

Ed wondered if maybe he'd thought wrong about dinner. If maybe she'd rather stay at the Life. Well, he had two thoughts running through his head. One, she didn't want to go. Two, she didn't know if she ought to, or even where to go.

"We could try Sardi's," he offered, and then added, "or we could stay here, whichever you prefer. Wherever we end up, dinner's on me." He wanted that out in case cost was bothering her.

Cha-Cha felt better when he said he'd pay. She didn't know too many nice places, but she knew she couldn't afford a ton of them. And she wasn't one to pass up free food. "We could try there, okay," she nodded, feeling a little better.

"It's pretty cool," said Ed. "Big Broadway kinda place, caricatures of the stars on the walls..." Sardi's was a good distance from where they were, but at least they could talk on the way. "Do you feel like a taxi or the subway? It's in the theatre district, so we can't really walk." He was sorry he didn't drive himself, if only so he could drive her home. He mentally laughed at himself. _I'm acting like I'm seventeen again._

"Could we take a taxi? It's just...I am kind of subway impaired sometimes," Cha-Cha admitted with a laugh. It could be very complicated! It wasn't always just point A to point B. Plus, her brain noted, a taxi would be a little quieter and a little more private. Not that she'd use that as a reason.

Green grinned. "Good, better for talking," he said, verbalizing her thought. He flagged a taxi down relatively quickly for the area, and opened the door for her to get in. It wouldn't be more than a twenty minute ride, and though he normally found the wait painful, tonight he had a feeling it'd be much too fast.

"Mind reader," Cha-Cha replied, returning the grin. She couldn't fight a giggle as he opened the door for her. She couldn't remember the last time someone had done that for her. Of course, it wasn't often she got to go by car. But it was still sweet of him. It was like in a movie.

Ed was just able to keep a straight face as she giggled. Hey, he said he was working toward a memorable evening, and it was starting here. Besides, he was having fun already.

So. He knew her name, what she did for a living, what next? "Do you live around here, or just in the area for the cafe?"

"Well, I live down..." Cha-Cha paused, turning around slightly in her seat to point out the back window. "Down there. It's not really that far from here...you?" she asked, trying to think of whether or not she'd seen him. His face wasn't familiar, but then there were so many people around. And her memory wasn't always the greatest.

Well, that narrowed it down, he thought as he held in a laugh. "I'm not too far either. Around where 1st Street meets 1st Avenue, easy to remember." Wait a minute, he realized. If she's only just down there... "You know," Ed began, "I think we may be hardly fifteen blocks from each other." He could walk her home, he thought, amused.

Cha-Cha fixed him with a look, the wheels in her head turning. "1st...is it a really big place?" she asked slowly. She could never remember the exact street her building was on. But it was something weird like that. If they were in the same place...well it was definitely looking like it'd be a good thing. It wouldn't really surprise her, either; people seemed to come and go like crazy.

"Yeah, yeah, it's a good sized building," he said. "Eight or nine floors, not bad." Ed wondered how close they'd end up being. If all went well, he could be running into her quite often.

"Huh. We could actually be close by...I'm not really that good with locations and stuff," Cha-Cha admitted with a shrug. It didn't usually affect her, because she didn't usually go too far. But especially now that she was further from her girls, getting across town to see them could be a pain.

Ed nodded. He hoped she'd come up with the next topic, he was afraid he'd bring up the weather if it was left to him.

Cha-Cha smiled and relaxed a little. It had been a forever since she'd gone on a date, and she hadn't realized how much she missed it. "So..." she started, thinking. "How was the rest of work?" she asked, hoping that was okay to ask. Usually she wouldn't give it a second thought. But he was a detective, so it might not really make for good, light conversation.

"It lead me on a wild goose chase to New Jersey," he said, amused yet annoyed at the same time. He summed it up as quick as he could, knowing full well he could drag this out to be an hour long drama if he didn't focus, and he wasn't sure how detailed of an answer she really wanted. "We'd been following credit card purchases trying to find our suspect, and we were sure he'd finally gotten tired and booked a hotel room. Unfortunately, after a two hour drive and one broken hotel door, we realized he'd sold it to a guy on the street after his last purchase." His tone grew slightly embarrassed. "Lennie and I, of course, had to have interrupted a newlywed couple who, despite the fact it was past five p.m., hadn't left their room yet..." He was certain she knew what he was implying. What had really done it, though, was that it wasn't the first time it had happened to he and his partner. Lucky them.

Cha-Cha's jaw dropped during the story, and she couldn't bite back her laughter. She wasn't trying to. "You...are _not_ serious," she got out, covering her mouth with her fist. Cha-Cha didn't embarrass easily. But that would make even her blush. "What do you do after that? I mean, well...did you find the other guy at least? The one you were looking for?"

"What? Oh, yeah," he said, distracted. She was too cute when she laughed. Turned just the right shade of pink. "We got the street and general location from the two in the hotel room. They'd ran into the suspect at the gas station, and we could ID him from the surveillance tapes." He sighed in his satisfied kind of way, half smile in place. "An eventful afternoon, but ended up going our way."

"Guess that's what matters," Cha-Cha nodded. At least she could understand that. There was a reason she didn't watch law shows or anything. A lot of times they got so involved that she lost track of what was happening, missed details, and ended up totally confused by the end. The time she'd tried to watch one with Ivana and Grace, it was like the three of them were each seeing different things. "They still helped you, after you...interrupted them? Or do they have to, by law or something?" she asked.

"They legally have to, but it didn't come to that. They were just eager for us to get out of there, and quickly gave us everything we needed." Thankfully. Ed had been just as anxious to leave. He was definitely not in the mood to threaten a man wearing only a bed sheet that if he didn't cooperate he'd be arrested. They could always find something to intimidate witnesses with, usually hindering an investigation. But luckily (and surprisingly) these two were quick to answer any questions the detectives had.

"Can you blame them?" Cha-Cha asked with a giggle. She couldn't get over how embarrassing that would be, for both sides. It would definitely be a mood killer to say the least. "I'd want you out, too!"

"Thanks," he laughed, knowing what she meant but still pretending to be insulted. He'd want himself out if he'd been in their shoes as well. His rested his head on the back of the seat and closed his eyes. "Embarrassing..." he sighed.

"Well, maybe I wouldn't kick _you_ out," Cha-Cha added with a grin. She couldn't resist...he could take it any way he wanted to. But then again, he practically walked right into it. "Just be glad you weren't the naked one."

Ed sat up straighter when he heard what she said, eyes still closed, and raised an eyebrow in silent intrigue. _Oh really_? He couldn't help stealing a glance at her, smile fighting off a rising smirk. Oh the many, many things he could reply with. None, however, he felt the taxi driver deserved to overhear. "I'm _very _glad," he replied, knowing it had been more of an automatic response to her first comment than the latter. But maybe she wouldn't catch it. Or did he want her to?

Cha-Cha returned his grin before looking forward again. She wasn't sure what he was glad about, but...either way. She was still trying not to laugh though; maybe it was nerves or excitement or both, but she was determined to keep a straight face. Play it cool...or at least sort of cool.

She squinted a bit at the neon sign, just a bit ahead. "Is that it?" she asked, glancing back at him.

"Yep." He fished around in his deep coat pockets for his wallet, and flipped through to find the right bills for the driver. "That went a lot faster than I thought," he said. You know what they say, times flies...

Beaming, Cha-Cha pulled her purse further up her shoulder and gave the restaurant another look. There wasn't much you could tell from the outside, she supposed. But so far, so good. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" she wondered aloud with another smile.

"It's a good thing," he grinned. When they were out of the taxi, he didn't know if he should take her arm, or put his hand on the small of her back, or just lead the way. He thought gently taking her elbow would be a good midway thing, but...well, he opted for her back. She had to be closer that way.

Cha-Cha was surprised by his forwardness, but definitely did not object. If of course, you could call a hand on her back forward. It definitely wasn't backward. She just wasn't expecting it, but she was pleasantly surprised. "So do you come here...often?" she asked, still unsure of what the place was like, anyway. Whether it was really fancy, or just a few steps above what she was used to.

"Not too often," Ed admitted. It wasn't overwhelmingly fantastic, but it was very nice. The entire back wall was covered with drawings of Broadway actors, many of which Ed spent a good amount of time admiring. The food was pricey, but the general atmosphere was, at least for him, very inviting. "Special occasions, really."

"So I'm a special occasion now," Cha-Cha assumed with pride. It almost seemed strange that she would be. Hadn't they only met that afternoon? But maybe he didn't go out much at all...maybe in a way she was.

Ed wondered if maybe he shouldn't have said that. He hadn't really thought the implications through all the way, and he wasn't sure how he was coming off.

But really, she was a unique date. He hadn't been with a drag queen since college. Not with his job; it'd be horrendous if the precinct knew. The last cop who'd been with a man ended up "accidentally" shot the following month. Ed had always swung both ways, but after he made detective he made it a point to stay in straight clubs only. It was hard enough being black and making the force, he didn't need any other discrimination.

He went out often enough, but no one held his attention for long. So tonight with Cha-Cha was a special occasion. Or perhaps rare? She caught his interest instantly. But special seemed a more appropriate adjective to Ed, and he smiled before telling the host they needed a table for two.

Cha-Cha just beamed at his silence. She'd take that as a yes, and she didn't mind being his special occasion at all. In a way he was one for her, too. Well...it definitely wasn't everyday she went to a nice place like this. With a nice person like him. That counted as a special occasion. As she followed the hostess to their table, she couldn't help but bring her eyes up to the wall, cracking up as she spotted Liza Minelli.

Ed pointed out a few more of the stars, the more famous ones he was confident she'd know. They had some obscure ones only a closet Broadway fanatic like himself would recognize, and a few so interestingly drawn you couldn't tell who it was.

He'd been feeling like a kid on his first date during the beginning of the evening, which he found odd because he'd done this a million times, but now the cool atmosphere was sinking in, and he felt more like himself. He began to stop questioning his every move and relaxed.

"Is that...Tim Curry?" Cha-Cha squinted slightly to get a better look, and couldn't help but laugh again when she saw that it was. It wasn't even clear to her what was all that funny about the drawings. But every time she caught sight of one she recognized (which was actually more often than she'd been expecting), she had to bite her tongue.

Seated, Ed picked up the menu and scanned it between their celebrity spottings. He was surprised with how Andrew Llyod Webber looked as a cartoon. Unrecognizable unless you knew who you were looking for. It reminded him how baffled he'd been in high school when even the drama kids didn't know who he was. Huh.

Tim Curry. Frankie. A Rocky Horror fan? Amazing.

Cha-Cha gave up on the drawing a couple minutes later, crossing her legs under the table. "How are you supposed to tell who anybody is? Everybody kind of looks like aliens," she asked with a hint of a smile. They weren't bad, they just...weren't really easily recognizable. Or at least, to her they weren't. Maybe he could help her out.

"I think..." Ed thought about it for a second. How did he do it? "I normally think of something their known for and find cartoons with that really exaggerated. Going from there is pretty easy. Like that one," he pointed to a picture. "George Gershwin. Nobody knows him," he laughed slightly to himself, "but I could tell by the long forehead and nose, even if the rest of him isn't remarkable."

Cha-Cha studied the frame in question, eyes traveling down the character's face. "I see it!" she exclaimed after a second, breaking into a laugh. How did she miss that one? It wasn't that she was really into Broadway or anything (she preferred movies, but it was hard to be in a New York City drag show and not pick up on a few things) but that seemed like such an easy one to get. Or maybe it just felt that way, because he'd pointed it out. "Do you like Broadway a lot?" she asked, moving her eyes to the next frame to try and get it on her own. No real luck, though.

"I'm not down here every weekend," he smiled, "but I like to see one now and then. A few of my friends are really crazy about it, so I've caught on to some things." Ed ordered what he normally ate and looked back to Cha-Cha. "What about you? Any connection between what you do and Broadway?"

Cha-Cha nodded her head, handing her menu to the waiter. "Well...I haven't been to an actual show in..." she thought back to herself. "I guess ever. Which is alright, because I like movies better, anyway. I like having it to own, being able to watch it over and over again if I want to, you know?" she asked. And plus, she couldn't afford a Broadway ticket of her life depended on it. Movies she could afford, though--or at least, she could splurge on a few clearance VHS' at Swamp Music every couple weeks. She didn't mind though, because even though some of them were cheesy, they could also be very touching. Cha-Cha could never stay dry eyed during movies. "I have some friends too, though, who come down here any time they can. Which I can sort of understand and all. I mean, I'm pretty sure I've seen the Cabaret movie at least four times--Liza," she added, gesturing up towards the caricature.

"You're catching on to these pictures faster than most people," he laughed. And as for only having the video adaptation, "Sometimes I've thought the movies were better than the show. They can do much more because they're not tied to the stage. Or the actors were irreplaceable." He searched for an example. "Have you seen Sound of Music?" Ed asked. That was a famous one. "I doubt any revival could match Julie Andrews' singing, or Christopher Plummer's..." He had always found Chris to be ridiculously handsome. "...ability to be so convincing as a naval hero."

"Am I?" Cha-Cha asked with a giggle, shrugging. She didn't know a ton of Broadway shows, but the performers were easier a little easier to get. The only shows she really knew were the ones with movies out...that she could get on video for less than ten dollars. "I love that one! Except the puppet part sort of gives me the willies, but still," she responded enthusiastically, nodding her head. "True. That...Christopher Plummer was the best part of the movie," she agreed, and didn't mention her real reason for thinking that.

"The puppets?" asked Ed. "Really?" What could be so unnerving about a lonely goatherd?

"Yeah. Don't you think they were a little creepy?" Cha-Cha asked with wide eyes. She'd always had a thing with puppets though. Especially ventriloquists. "It's like...they're just a little too...it's like toys who come to life, you know? And I just don't trust it. Cause what if they're not cute like in Toy Story..." she trailed off with a small smile. Sometimes Cha-Cha didn't know when to quit.

"Ventriloquists, definitely. But it's probably because I read Goosebumps as a kid. Night of the Living Dummy had me terrified for years." He could never play with his action figures the same way after that.

"I never read those, but...I've just always kind of felt that way. The ventriloquist dummies...ugh. Don't you just think they're a little too happy to have somebody's hand up their..." Cha-Cha stopped, smiling lightly. Well, it was true!

It wasn't a snort, and it wasn't a cough, but whatever it was Ed choked it back, and was just glad he hadn't done a spit take. He set down his glass. Ed tried to hide his smile by placing his chin in his hand, looking down toward his plate, his laughing eyes scanning the worn design. At just the right moment a waiter appeared asking how things were going. "Great, great," he nodded before asking for more water.

He hadn't expected a line like that from her.

"Well it's true! You okay over there?" That pretty much killed Cha-Cha. It wasn't the reaction she'd expected (somehow offended looks and 'I never's seemed to come up when she pointed it out). But this, she liked this a lot better.

Still laughing a bit, he answered, "You know, I never thought about it." Ed cleared his throat, smiling as he tried to regain his composure. "You're right. That is strange. And I don't think I can ever watch a ventriloquist the same way again."

"Did I just ruin them for you? I'm sorry," Though it was clear she wasn't really. Cha-Cha was laughing too hard at his reaction. "You would've realized sooner or later though. There's just something about them that's just not...right."

Ed shook his head. No, not ruined, just...changed his point of view.

"You know, they had a Sound of Music revival playing," he laughed. "The puppets were in New York." He looked around with mock shifty eyes. "But I think it's ended."

Cha-Cha faked fear, laughing all through it. "Well...the good thing is I happen to know a very talented detective. So if I turn up in my dressing room--if I had a dressing room--strangled by puppet strings, I know at least justice will get served," she grinned at him. Hey, it could happen. She saw it in String Wars 2. Not as good as the first String Wars, but it still left her up half the night.

"Exactly," he beamed. A waiter approached carrying the tray with their food. He looked at the two with confusion. Apparently it was out of the norm for guests to be continuously snickering throughout the evening. Ed shrugged, and the man rolled his eyes at the can-I-help-it-if-we're-having-fun gesture.

Cha-Cha tried to adjust herself to the sudden serious tone, but it had only become funnier to her. That was the other thing about fancy restaurants, some of them had a real thing about smiling. But how could they expect people not to with all the faces on the wall? Still though, she struggled to keep a straight face and an emotionless voice as she thanked the waiter, though soon that attempt cracked and she was smiling at Ed again.

The aged waiter mumbled something about their laughter and the other guests. Something along the lines of not everyone heard the joke, so not everyone should hear the aftermath. Ed had lots of practice at playing serious, so he nodded as if he absolutely understood the mans point. But as he curiously watched the waiter leave, he grinned again. "Did we just get shushed?" he laughed. Imagine, two adults. He hadn't been told to quiet down since school.

"I think we might've!" Cha-Cha agreed, and didn't laugh any quieter than before. She couldn't help that he made her laugh. And that she sometimes laughed too loudly... "Maybe somebody's jealous," she wondered out loud, sneaking another look at the waiter and trying not to be too obvious about it. Some people looked like they'd never cracked a smile in their life. It was sad, really.

He watched the man slink off to collect dishes. If he had to pick up the crap some people leave on tables, he'd be miserable too.

Ed didn't see how two customers having a great time would be a bad thing. He thought the managers should hope it'd rub off on some of the particularly depressed looking folks in the corner.

"That's probably it," he replied, eyes sparkling as he began to work at his food.

"Well...at least he has good reason to be," Cha-Cha added with a smile, twisting a piece of spaghetti around her fork. "I don't know about you but I am having a lovely time," she added honestly. Not that she'd been expecting differently, but it was nice.

"I am," Ed answered brightly. It was going ridiculously well. No awkward silences, no one had gotten mad and stormed out swearing that detectives were too insensitive for their own good... Well, alright that only happened once and he didn't expect it to again. It'd been a bad day. Very unlike this one, he was happy to add.

"Best I've had in awhile, in fact," Cha-Cha added after a minute. "Not that there've been many in awhile, but..." she giggled, thinking back. She wasn't sure when her last date was, one like this where they actually sat down, ate dinner, talked. Which sometimes was the best type. She couldn't remember where it was though...or even who it was.

Personally, Ed was shocked that someone as fun and attractive as Cha-Cha didn't have men falling over left and right to ask her out. Or maybe she did, and she was very selective? This he would have to ponder. But what he did know was that if he had any occupation other than his own, and he frequented her club, he'd have asked by now.

And that lead him to what he'd been trying to shove to the back of his mind. The reality he was attempting to ignore; his job.

He didn't regret coming to night because of her, she'd made it a great evening. So much so she left him completely set to propose meeting him again this weekend. The problem was, he shouldn't. He shouldn't he shouldn't he shouldn't.

"The same goes for me," he said. He hated to be a mood killer, but he could feel his face falling. "My job makes it very difficult for me to..." Date men? Drag queens? Anyone? He started again. "I should tell you I..."

Cha-Cha couldn't help but beam at his confession, almost a little taken back. It really didn't seem like she'd be her type, she had to admit. Men like him, they always seemed to be married, to have a family. To not really give her the time of day. It just proved how wrong you could be about a person. How did she get so lucky, anyway? It was pure chance they met. Anybody could've walked in that afternoon.

It made her sort of wonder if there was going to be a catch, but she was trying not to think that way. Why wasn't he smiling anymore though? Biting her lip, she nodded, urging him to continue.

Ed searched for the right words, but came up empty. How do you tell someone you'd be shot for dating them? Well, he admitted, he knew Lennie wouldn't do that. But his career really could become jeopardized.

This was assuming the two of them got serious. How did he know she was even thinking that far ahead? Why was he? It'd been under twenty four hours. It was absolutely unnecessary to worry either one of them about it. Right?

Negative. Whether he understood why or not, his mind was already plotting another meeting with her and how to get there safely. Unfortunately, Ed explaining to potential lovers exactly how quiet things had to stay ended up in them walking away. But he'd try.

"Well, first off, I'd like to see you again." He wanted that out there, hoping she'd release her poor lower lip. "But, being a detective, I shouldn't. The guys I work with wouldn't understand. Anything they don't have they think is wrong, and none of them have had the pleasure of running into a girl like you." He intended it to be as complementary as it could considering the situation, but things could always be taken the wrong way.

Cha-Cha listened quietly, a little unsure of how to react. She wanted to see him again too, definitely. But what did he mean by a girl like her?...A drag queen? There were a lot of reason's she'd been turned down before, but that wasn't a common one. It was why her first boyfriend broke up with her, she could plainly remember that--but he'd been young, neither of them had really been all that mature (not that she really considered herself to be, not fully, but she had grown since fifteen or sixteen). Ed had to have been at least...maybe close to forty. Weren't you supposed to know what you wanted by then, and what you didn't?

Maybe that wasn't the case though. If that were the reason, why had he asked her out again at all? If it were only to let her down. "A girl like me, meaning...?" Cha-Cha asked. "A blonde Latina in her," she hesitated, "let's say early twenties? Or...a drag queen?"

It was the first time either of them had said drag queen. Ed had learned the hard way from his college love Starr that some weren't fond of the term, and he had danced around it. He didn't see anything wrong with it, and personally thought it sounded better than 'female impersonator'...but that was just him. What did he know? Ed had been hoping this would come at the end of dinner, but it had seemed a good time to lead into it.

Wait a minute. Early twenties? Ed felt old again.

"Drag queen," he admitted awkwardly. "But..." Ed paused, massaging his temple absently with two fingers. He let out a breath. "This isn't going how I wanted it to at all," he sighed. "What I'm trying to say is that, if you'd like to, I'd really like to keep seeing you. But the problem is, a gay detective isn't a safe detective. My precinct couldn't find out. I know this isn't what you want to hear on a first date, but I didn't think you'd appreciate it any more later." He waited a moment. "Now's when you throw your wine on me and storm out," he laughed weakly.

Immediately, Cha-cha felt her heart sink. There was always a catch. _Always_ a catch. She'd meet someone like him, charming and sweet and not bad to look at, either. And he'd turn out to be married, or dying, or even a convict once (where did she meet these people?) There'd always be some barrier they couldn't get over, and the whole thing would fall flat.

But then again, maybe they could get over this one. Maybe it wasn't so bad. So they had to sneak around a little...how hard would that be? What were the chances they'd run into anyone he knew, anyway? If they were as homophobic as Ed seemed to think, the chances of them being anywhere she would be seemed slim.

Cha-Cha tried to smile weakly and her wine glass didn't leave the table, though she did find herself fingering the edge without giving it much thought. Maybe she was just trying to stall a little time. It wasn't usual that she didn't know what to say.

"Well..." she replied finally, sighing. "How long would that be for? I mean...if we did keep seeing each other," she added, having not quite made up her mind. "I mean...I can't go back in the closet, honey. I'm about fifty feet out...I think they'd suspect things," she added with a small smile. "And I'm pretty sure they wouldn't buy me as your brother. How much different would this be from a normal...thing?"

"I'm not asking you to change anything," he said in reference to the back in the closet worry. The only thing he'd ask of her would be to not come to the precinct. And he couldn't think of her ever having a reason to, so that wouldn't be a huge problem, would it? It only had been when he had the bright idea of dating a detective from the two-six who insisted on dropping by every day. "And I'd try to keep it as normal as possible. Really, I think it would be like your average thing, except going a bit out of our way to stay of out of the popular parts of the city." It hit him that Sardi's had been a risky idea. It was one of Logan's old favorites.

Watching her face fall, Ed entertained the idea for the first time in ten years of coming out, at least to those who'd need to know. Lennie. Van Buren. The two he'd hate to lie to. But what if he did, and a week later Cha-Cha decided she didn't want to hide it from the rest of the precinct and disappeared? Should he offer anyway? He had a feeling he wouldn't be able to follow through at the moment.

"I know most of my coworkers regular haunts," he said, having had a lot of practice. She'd mainly have to follow his lead and catch on to which areas are normally clear, and where they shouldn't roam. "I _have_ been around a long time," he chuckled slightly.

It all sounded a little sketchy, Cha-Cha had to admit. She'd been with guys like him before, guys that worked in offices or law firms or really anything in the more 'corporate world', and nothing of the sort happened. But then again, none of those guys had guns or anything, either. A gay detective wasn't a safe detective? She wasn't quite sure she even wanted to know what he was implying, it couldn't be good. Part of her was doubting him, but part of her was getting persuaded, too. Did she have any reason to not trust him? They'd just met, yes, but he'd been nothing but...wonderful to her. She was skeptical, but still part of her wanted to go along with it, if only to get closer to him. Part of her wanted to try.

"I don't know," Cha-Cha admitted, bringing her feet closer to her under the table. "It...I'll have to think about it. I really will," she added, hoping he'd understand. This wasn't something she'd really had to do before, and it wasn't the best thing to hear on a first date. "Maybe you can convince me," she continued after a moment, a tiny smile sneaking onto her lips.

She let out a small laugh though at his comment. "How old are you anyway?" she asked, partly out of curiosity and partly to move the conversation into a lighter area. This was, after all, the first date. And she was having too good a time on the whole to totally let that mar it. Besides, she'd been trying to guess all night. Was he older than forty? There was no way that man was anywhere near fifty, she was...reasonably sure. If he was though he looked damn good. It didn't matter that much to her though...she'd always had a thing for older men.

Ed decided thinking about it was a good sign. Better than most, he thought. She wasn't marching away for good, and that was...well, good. He understood it was a bit unnerving.

He smiled at her question, knowing she was bound to ask sometime tonight. "Thirty-eight," he answered.

"I was close!" Cha-Cha exclaimed proudly. 'I was thinking late thirties." Actually, she'd been thinking older than forty, but she wouldn't tell him that. He looked good, either way. Even though he was a good...thirteen years older than her. Give or take. Not that she'd be telling him that, either.

Ed was grateful for the change in moods. He was also curious to know how close or apart they were, but he hadn't lived this long without learning that was not a good question to ask a woman.

Cha-Cha smiled even as the conversation lulled. Already she was wondering how she could ever say no to seeing him again. So they had to sneak around a bit. Was she crazy? Maybe he'd be worth it. She'd see, anyway.

Smiling was good. Very good. Okay, tension fading, back on track with the general atmosphere. Good. Smile back, Eddie.

"So, how are your friends doing? Any unusual stories?" he asked.

"Well, they're good...last time I talked to them." Which was longer ago than Cha-Cha would've liked. She was used to seeing them everyday, it was so strange being on her own. Now though, she hadn't seen them in over a week, at their last show. And talking on the phone wasn't the same, not to mention expensive for someone who didn't have a regular job. "Actually...to be honest, that's kind of why I pounced on you today. Sorry about that, it's just...I used to live with two of my best friends. I moved though, because...I had this boyfriend..." she waved her hand, it wasn't important. "But now I really miss them. A lot. And I haven't really met anybody else yet...so today was sort of my...'get up off your butt Cha-Cha, and talk to someone!' day."

And what a day it ended up being, he thought happily. Whatever the reason, it worked out great.

"I'm sorry you can't see them often," Ed said honestly. "But on the other hand I have to admit to selfishly thinking 'I wouldn't have met you otherwise.'" He hoped she knew he meant it all in good fun. He wasn't _glad _she couldn't see them.

Cha-Cha couldn't help but smile, blushing lightly in pleasure. "Today turned out then. I've gotta say, at the million and one New York citizens who could've come in today...I'm really glad it was you." And that was when she knew, she had to give this a try. Whether they had to hide it or not. Maybe it was some sort of sign, it could've been anyone. But it was him...

Ed's career was fueled by wit and quick thinking, yet no matter how hard he tried at the moment he couldn't come up with a smooth response. 'I'm really glad it was you too' seemed too automatic, and 'Me too' was just blah. This detective had seen what some of the most brutal of all New Yorkers could dish out without a blink, but now he was stuck in a pleasant silence due to a positive comment.

He was smiling of course, that much he knew. His eyes had a rare glint to them, a sparkle reserved for special occasions, which this had already been declared earlier.

"Strange to think if I'd come in two minutes later, we might not be sitting here, huh?" Typical man, always avoiding a mushy moment.

"I know. Good luck," Cha-Cha agreed, though she wondered if it was just luck. He was right; if there had only been a minute's difference, they never would have met. Then what would she be doing? Probably watching some movie on TV, or paying an arm and a leg to call Ivana and Grace. But she liked this a lot better, even with the snag. There was chance it was just a coincidence, there was no mystical design making sure they met. But still, she liked to think, maybe it wasn't like that. Maybe it was like the movies, where people meet totally by chance and it was all supposed to happen, anyway. She always liked those movies. "Or at least, it's looking like good luck," she added, just to tease him.

"Looking like it?" he asked with a smile. "It definitely was, Cha-Cha, some very welcome and very good luck." And if he hadn't been the one to run into her today, he imagined running into her someplace else.

He wondered if they'd bumped into each other before, but never took the time to notice or care. He thought about it with a half smile, imagining a scenario where they were always just around the corner. Then Ed realized he was plugging themselves into You've Got Mail, and snapped out of it.

Usually, Cha-Cha didn't blush easily. But just in those few hours, he was making her beat her own record. He affected her in a slightly different way, though. Everything he said seemed so genuine. Not that things didn't sound genuine from other men she'd seen. But this time, she believed it.

"What are you smiling about?" she couldn't help asking as she noticed him drift, though she was smiling herself.

"Just had a funny image of us You've Got Mail style. Have you seen it?" If she had, she'd get it. If not, Ed had seen it enough times to recap it quickly and to the point. Something he would never admit to anyone else, of course. Tough guy detectives don't watch suspenseful romantic movies.

"I've heard of it...but I've never seen it," Cha-Cha replied. Though to her understanding, it was kind of a romantic comedy. Well, the fact he didn't shy away from those movies was a plus...a big one. Her foot swung from side to side under the table without her really realizing. "What's it about?"

"Two bookshop owners are competing to stay open, one's a huge chain store and the other a family run place. The two heads are at war the whole time," he explained. "That's not how I see us though," Ed added with a laugh. "At the same time they're e-mailing each other everyday and, not knowing it's their business rival, fall in love. They're always just around the corner, a grocery aisle away, on the opposite of the street, she leaves a coffee house a second before he goes in... So close yet so far, ya know?" He'd always gotten so frustrated watching the movie, tempted to yell 'He's right there!' angrily at the TV as if Meg Ryan could hear him. "I have a point, I swear," Ed grinned. "I was just wondering if I've ever _just_ missed you before."

"I'll have to see that one," Cha-Cha replied, imagining it. That seemed like such a funny thought, but how impossible was it? It could've happened. As hard as she thought back though, he just wasn't familiar to her. Unless she'd just never noticed...unless they'd always looked away at the exact wrong moment. "That's just too weird though. Do you think we have?" she asked, still searching her brain for some recollection.

"Ya never know. With all the people it seems impossible, but then impossible things have been known to happen." Ed found it a bit hard to believe that if they had been on the same street and her outfits didn't catch his eye, but he did have a tendency to zone out when he walked. "Something to ponder, anyway."

"Well...if it's true I'll be kicking myself later. I'd have to be way off my game to miss someone like you on the street," Cha-Cha added with a smirk. With his height and his eyes, she couldn't imagine herself not noticing him. In fact, come to think of it...even if she hadn't made that deal with herself, chances were she would've found herself talking to him anyway.

Ed was tiring of his meal, more than halfway finished. He waited for a lull in conversation, then asked, "Do you feel like desert yet? Or..at all, I guess I should ask."

"I would love some," Cha-Cha agreed. It wasn't something he even had to ask. It would be smart to try and watch her weight (Miss Flawless year four was only six months, two weeks and five days away). But dessert wasn't something Cha-Cha could ever resist no matter how much she tried to.

Ed flagged a waiter down and ordered his regular dessert for both of them. "Trust me," he winked.

Cha-Cha struggled to raise an eyebrow, she could never keep it up there. But she was smiling all through it. "Dessert is dessert," she shrugged, trusting him. "As long as it's got a little bit of chocolate in it...or strawberry," she added. Or vanilla. Or caramel or...anything really...

Ed had been right, and he grinned in satisfaction as their plates were set in front of them minutes later. A delicious chocolate creation, with a generous amount of strawberries resting on top.

Cha-Cha's jaw dropped slightly and she caught his eyes. "Wow," she said simply. How were they even gonna finish them? She was getting a shock to her senses just looking at it. "I'm glad I trusted you," she added with a laugh.

Ed knew neither one of them could finish one on their own, but wasn't sure if he should assume sharing was alright with her. First date, and all.

Not wanting to waste any time (or any of the strawberries), Cha-Cha plucked a fruit off the top and popped it in her mouth. The strawberries were always the best part on those sorts of things. If she couldn't finish all the chocolate, no way was she leaving the strawberries.

She picked up her fork afterward, coughing and pretending to eat the chocolate part in a more civilized manner, grinning lightly.

Ed started on his own, eating slowly. The night was ending all too soon. He didn't know what to say for an excuse to keep talking and stay longer.

Even though there was a lull in the conversation, Cha-Cha didn't feel like it was an uncomfortable one. It was nice, actually. With her girls and her, there was no such thing as a comfortable silence. None of them could keep their mouths shut. It was sort of nice, not having to constantly...think. She vaguely wondered what time it was; it felt like the whole dinner had just flown by?

"Do you have a watch?" she asked. "It feels like we've been here about ten minutes," she explained with a smile. That was what they said about time, when you had fun...it flew.

He did. "Pushing eleven thirty," Ed said. It couldn't be, could it? _Where did the time go?_ And he honestly was confused for a moment, not using the phrase as the normal happy sigh. Once Ed thought it over, it made more sense. She'd been a bit late, so they hadn't left the Life till just before nine. Got here by...well, must have been around nine fifteen. So it had been two hours, not bad at all. Just a bit of a shock to see eleven twenty seven on your watch when last you checked it was eight thirty.

"You're kidding," Cha-Cha replied, and almost wanted to look at his watch for herself. Honestly she'd half expected it to be just a little after ten, even though eleven thirty did make sense. It just didn't feel that way. It was a little disappointing it was that late, too. There was less chance she could steal a couple extra minutes after they left. There would be the ride back, but still... "So...I guess this is it for you tonight," she supposed, and tried not to be too obvious in her desire to keep it going. He probably had to get up early in the morning, he probably didn't have any more time. But still, it would be nice...

Ed hated to admit it, but she was right. "Yeah," he sighed. He looked for a waiter to flag down for the check as he asked, "What area do you live in again?" Knowing how far a drive would allow him to guess the length of the taxi ride, and if they could take their time leaving Sardi's. Relax for a few more minutes, or run out the door once he paid the bill.

Ed hated to admit it, but she was right. "Yeah," he sighed. He looked for a waiter to flag down for the check as he asked, "What area do you live in again?" Knowing how far a drive would allow him to guess the length of the taxi ride, and if they could take their time leaving Sardi's. Relax for a few more minutes, or run out the door once he paid the bill.

"It's right around where we started from. Near the Life..." Cha-Cha sighed lightly. Well, that was a good fifteen minute drive at least. Of course, the traffic would probably be lighter, with it being later. "Course I'm in no hurry or anything," she added as casually as she could.

Hint taken, he thought with a half smile. However, he couldn't say the same. "I wish I weren't either. Unfortunately," he said almost with a groan. "I do work tomorrow..." A waiter finally shuffled over with their check. Ed sent him away with his credit card, the five minutes that would take were all he would allow himself to steal. He'd had a long day in Jersey and a long evening with Cha-Cha, sleep had to be squeezed in eventually.

"I know," Cha-Cha agreed with reluctance. Of course he had other things to do. It would be nice though. After a minute, she added, "then maybe...we can do this again. If you still want to," she smiled softly.

"Of course," he said confidently. Absolutely. If he still wanted to? It was her he'd been worried about. What day was it, Wednesday? He didn't want to ask for tomorrow -well, okay he did but he thought that'd seem too soon- so he opted for, "This weekend, if you're free?"

"I think I can be," Cha-Cha agreed, her smile only growing. At the moment she wasn't actually sure if she was. But...she could become free, no problem. Maybe. Or was changing plans taking things too fast? Then again...when did Cha-Cha ever worry about going too fast? "Saturday?"

"Yeah," he grinned, taking his card from the waiter who'd just returned. He stood, stretching a bit before getting his coat on. He waited for her to do the same, then walked her out, hand tentatively on the small of her back once again.

Cha-Cha had always liked tall men. It made her feel like she had a personal bodyguard, or something. Not to mention it was a little bit freezing outside (Cha-Cha only exaggerated a little) and him being so close added a little warmth. It felt that way, anyway. "So do you know what you're doing tomorrow? or will it be a surprise?" she wondered out loud.

He raised an arm to flag a taxi down, the other lingering around her waist still, unsure if he should leave it there or pull it back. "Finishing up the paperwork part of the case I mentioned," said Ed, determined not to go red again at the thought. "Part of the job they don't mention in TV dramas. Lennie and I normally make a bet or flip or coin to see who's stuck with it. I lost."

"Fun," Cha-Cha giggled, staying a bit closer to him. What could she say? It was December and it was cold. "I guess you have to explain exactly what happened? Or can you write that off as unimportant?" she teased him.

Ed rolled his eyes, smirking to keep hidden the embarrassment. "All I have to say is we got the information we needed. How and under what circumstances aren't really necessary. Or at least won't make it into this report." Ah, a taxi.

"Of course not," Cha-Cha giggled, sighing in relief as the cab drove up. "I'm gonna see if I can go see my friends tomorrow. Beat the subway system..." she groaned. "And try not to end up on the other side of the country..."

Ed laughed, imagining her ending up in the most unlikely places.

He told the driver what she'd told him, and hoped they got to the general area. Luckily, he thought, it was close to where he lived. Very close, in fact. He remembered thinking this earlier, but didn't ponder it much longer.

"Let me know how that goes," he said with a smile, knowing there was bound to be a story or two after the visit.

"I will, if I see you again! I mean if I don't end up in...Jamaica or something," Cha-Cha laughed, looking out the window as they drove. Though maybe, at the moment she's prefer Jamaica. She'd take the sun over snow any day.

Ed chuckled again, and when it died down he asked, "Do you drive?" He knew plenty of New Yorkers who had never gotten behind the wheel until their thirties. With the subway and taxi, it wasn't really necessary, right? He didn't realize how very off topic that was until it came out.

"I don't. I've tried it, but..." Cha-Cha trailed off as she remembered what a disaster that was. She just didn't have the patience. Or the self control. "But uh, no. I don't drive," she laughed. "I couldn't even afford a car even if I had a license."

After he thought about it, he really couldn't picture her driving. "Just wanted to make sure you had help if you get snowed in tonight, " he said, explaining why he'd asked. Friends not living near her anymore, a single person working on it could take forever. "The way the snow's coming down already, I'm gonna have a helluva time getting my car out in the morning."

"You don't think we'll get snowed in, do you?" Cha-Cha asked with a sigh. Looking at the snow it didn't seem so impossible. It was falling harder and harder by the moment it seemed. Though, from inside a warmer place it was sort of pretty. Cold, wet, but pretty.

"You never know." He watched the flakes falling down with interest. "I hope not, though. I'm expected to show up no matter what." The subway and all. But that would mean having to walk through it. At seven thirty.

Ed sighed. "I hope you aren't planning on going anywhere in a hurry tomorrow morning." He said this with a smile despite the image of himself lurching through the snow, a living icicle.

"Not really...lucky you," Cha-Cha returned the smile, though she could imagine. She didn't see how they could expect him to come in if there was over ten inches in the morning. But then again...she wouldn't want to upset anybody he was working for, considering. She wouldn't want to offend a detective, much less his superiors.

They were nearing the roads she said to look for, and as he began to describe it like she had, he found the words had a too familiar ring. The number of floors she'd estimated, brick coloring, location...

They stopped in front of Ed's building. He looked slowly from the front doors to Cha-Cha. "Is this you?" he asked, pointing limply.

"Yup," Cha-Cha nodded her head, putting her purse over her shoulder. It made her sad the night was ending, and so soon, too. But the thought of seeing him again was exciting; any problem she may have had were forgotten for the time being. "How far are you from here?" she wondered.

Ed's laughed was more like an amused cough, too bewildered to full out guffaw. "This...is me too." His mouth stayed slightly parted in the "o" position, at a loss for anything more to say.

"This exact building?" Cha-Cha asked, her eyes narrowing. That would just be too strange. If that were true, how had they never run into each other? Or...maybe it was like he said...like the movie. Maybe they'd seen each other a million times before but had never noticed or cared. Cha-Cha believed it was possible, sure, but if this were true it'd be extremely weird, even for her. "What floor?"

"Fourth," he said, opening the door. Ed redid the top button of his jacket he'd loosened earlier and stepped out of the taxi. He shuffled through the rising blanket of snow to open her side. "'You've Got Mail'," he laughed. Of all the movies for his life to end up being, it wasn't bad. At least it didn't resemble 'I Am Legend' or 'Independence Day'.

"Third. I'm right under you," Cha-Cha shook her head in disbelief. Whether it was just a coincidence or a sign, it was definitely something. She wasn't sure she believed in fate and all that, but this was definitely a point in it's favor. She got out of the taxi, smiling at him. "This is crazy. Guess I've got no choice but to see you again now, I'd probably get struck down by lightning if I said no," she fake sighed as though it were such a burden to see him again.

"Not the usual way to accept a second date, but I'll take what I can get," he grinned. He shuffled through the snow toward the front door. "Should I ask for you phone number or room number?" he teased.

"I'm barely your usual person," Cha-Cha pointed out with a smirk. "I'm in 314. If I need you I'll bang on the ceiling," she added, laughing as she opened the door. This was a new one, living in the same building with her date. And not together. But how they never knew was even more amazing.

Ed nodded, memorizing the number. He stopped on the mat inside the lobby, shaking snow everywhere. He headed for the elevator, planning on dropping her off at her apartment then continuing on his way up. "It just hit me that there's only two elevators," he said, jabbing the button. "We never got on the same one?" The never ending questions of the odds. "Well, I guess I leave pretty early..."

"How early?" Cha-Cha asked, thinking. She herself was a morning person; could never sleep comfortably past ten. Usually she was out and about before that. "Still though, you've gotta come home at some time or another. We never saw each other then..."

Ding! It was here.

"I'm out the door by seven most days." He stepped on and punched floors three and four. "Get home late, too." He clapped his hands together a few times, trying to warm them up. Just the few seconds outside had gotten to them. He needed to remember gloves for tomorrow. "But now that I know to look for you, we'll probably run into each more often. Or...at least once," he laughed.

"Right. What time will you pick me up? Eight thirty nine's good for me. I could even manage eight thirty seven if I tried," Cha-Cha added as an after thought, grinning.

"Saturday?" He thought about it. "I should be able to be back by then." Assuming no one was killed, that is. Yes, he had given the okay to be the unfortunate soul to work weekends as well.

"Good. I'll be ready," Cha-Cha replied. The elevator's doors opened slowly on level three and she looked to him. "Are you getting off here?" she asked him, getting ready to step off.

"Yeah," he said automatically. Walk her to her door, then go up, he told himself. It was late already, and he'd be lucky if he got four hours of sleep tonight. He followed her off.

Cha-Cha beamed as he got off. "This has gotta be the first time since...a long long time I got walked home," she admitted with a giggle. Well, that wasn't exactly true. But usually the guys who walked her home went in with her and didn't leave till the morning, so they didn't exactly count. "Tonight was great, baby."

Ed grinned at her words as they came to a stop at her door. "Yeah," he nodded. Again Ed was faced with the dilemma of what to do concerning goodbye. He showed no hesitation on the outside at all, thankfully. "See you Saturday," said Ed before giving her a quick kiss then retreating to the elevator.

The kiss threw her off a bit but she returned it, unable to fight a smile as soon as it ended. Cha-Cha hadn't expected Ed to kiss her, but...no complaints. It was over too quickly though and suddenly Saturday seemed impossibly long away. "Night," she replied, the smile still plastered on her face as she headed inside.

Safely hidden in the elevator, Ed felt an irrational urge to laugh. He'd surprised himself by kissing her, and considering how unusually shy he'd been that evening, he could tell it shocked her as well. A hug just hadn't seemed right, he thought. And even though it had hardly been three seconds, Ed tapped his foot already anticipating Saturday night when he'd be able to kiss her again.

* * *

**Operatic** played Cha-Cha. Send her fabulous fan letters :) 


	3. Beautifying

Cha-Cha was played by the fabulous **Operatic**. Send her fan mail:) cuz she's awsome. I got permission from **Operatic** to post this.

* * *

**Beautifying**

Cha-Cha was running late getting ready as usual, but she wasn't worried. She was reasonably sure they weren't supposed to be meeting anywhere, they hadn't said so, anyway. She'd feel pretty dumb if they had. But he could wait, beauty took time sometimes. Not that she had to try hard to be beautiful but...anyway.

Truthfully though, she was more excited than she usually was for a date. More excited than she was on their first one. Clasping an earring in, she quickly checked the time and tried to figure out what else she needed to do.

Ed was ready early again. He supposed it had something to do with his work. Lieu always had high expectations for work done fast and accurately. Deadlines. Time limits. He was used to receiving a task and getting it done ASAP. It had only taken twenty one and a half minutes for the detective to be satisfied with how he looked, and that included his shower.

So there he had sat, ready to go since five after eight, staring at his distorted reflection in his coffee until it neared eight thirty-nine. He chuckled as he took a sip from his mug, amused with her cute misunderstanding of his time suggestion.

Cha-Cha was about three quarters ready at half past eight. She would've started getting ready earlier, but she was late getting back from seeing Ivana and Grace. She hadn't told them about Ed, just incase it didn't get anywhere. There was no point in getting their hopes up just because hers were. Sitting on the couch, she started doing up the heels she'd chosen.

Eight forty-five. He'd only given her five extra minutes really, but he thought he could wait down there for her. You can only stare into cold coffee for so long. He took the stairs to waste a few more minutes, then approached her door.

The last time he'd seen her was the second before he'd run away to the elevator after a short kiss. He hoped he hadn't made things awkward. But he thought it over several times, and a "Catch ya latah" with a one armed hug just hadn't seemed fitting.

He knocked.

Cha-Cha jumped a bit at the knock. She'd gone into full speed in the last five minutes, and had almost forgotten she was waiting for him at all. She pushed herself off the couch and headed to unhinge the door, smiling the second she saw him. "You're late," she teased and moved out of the way to let him in. She'd opted to go natural that night with no wig covering her short curls.

"Yeah. Traffic," he joked. He had a feeling those few extra minutes hadn't been wasted, but it wasn't like he could just say 'I thought you'd need them.' Oh the many many wrong implications that could send.

Ed had never seen her without a wig, and he couldn't stop his eyes from darting up to glance at her hair as he talked. Curls. He had imagined straight hair. Well, actually it had never crossed his mind, but now he imagined that he _would _have imagined straight hair. He rolled his eyes at the ridiculous ramblings his mind came up with before remembering Cha-Cha couldn't hear it too.

"Right. A people-jam in the hallway, maybe. I've actually gotten into one or two of those. People can be so pushy!" Cha-Cha grinned, pausing before snagging her purse off the doorknob." Do you want to come in?" she asked. It hadn't occurred to her, but they hadn't made any real plans for that night. "Or are we headed out?"

"Up to you," he said, hovering under the doorway, half in half out. He hadn't thought that far ahead either. It appeared they both had anticipated the evening without having any idea what to do once it arrived. "Any suggestions on where to go?"

"I don't really know anywhere fancy," Cha-Cha admitted, thinking to herself. She'd been to one pr two nice places, but she'd never paid any attention to the names. "Or...well, I guess we couldn't go anywhere nearby, anyway, right?" she asked. That complicated things even more. She didn't know too many places nearby, she definitely didn't know any away from where they were. "How far away do we need to get?"

"About three and a half hours south," he said as seriously as he could. His convincing facial expression only lasted two seconds before it gave in to a grin. "Not too far, just away from places I know they'll be. It doesn't have to be fancy," he added. "If you're not particularly hungry we could hang around here a little." He waved a finger in the air motioning to both of their apartments.

Cha-Cha laughed with him, though he had scared her for a second. Just for a second. "You know, we could even order in if you want to, and just stay here," she suggested without even thinking about it. She didn't know too many places, but staying in together might be sort of...cozy. Not that she had any problem with cozy, but she didn't want to push him. "Or we could get some fresh air...well...as fresh as it is in New York City," she added with a smile.

"Ah, the aroma of smog in the evening," he laughed. He thought about her offer. "Hm, yeah, staying in would definitely decrease the chances of running into somebody."

"Perfect, then," Cha-Cha agreed, moving out of the way to let him in fully and trying to think of where her phonebook got to. It was clear from her apartment that she didn't have the best organization skills, she wasn't sure how she found anything sometimes. "Isn't there a new Chinese place a few blocks down? Mei Foo, I think," she looked to him for approval.

"Yeah, I haven't tried it yet." Ed had followed her in and was now removing his coat. He held it in his hands with a slight grin as he sat down on the couch. He hadn't needed it after all. "Trip here was warmer than I thought." He watched her search for the phonebook. Ed would have offered to help, but he didn't have the faintest idea where anything would be here. "What kind of Chinese do you like?" he asked.

"Do you want me to take that for you?" Cha-Cha asked, motioning to her coat. "You'll remember where I put it, even if I don't," she added with a laugh. Where was that phonebook, though? Finally, she jumped toward the small, very cluttered front desk, popping it open and retrieving the book. "I remember. Just takes me awhile," she giggled.

"Sure," he said, handing over his coat. He watched where she went with it, just in case she really did forget. He gave a short applause when she held up the phonebook. Golf claps.

Cha-Cha placed the phonebook on the coffee table, grinning as she curtsied for him. Taking his coat, she bit her lip and looked at the closet. "Please don't let me get buried," she told the door before opening it, and sighed as only a few shoes fell out. She stuffed them back in quickly, and hung up his coat as neatly as she could. "Basically I'll try anything. I love Chinese," she admitted, sitting down beside him and thumbing through the book. "Rice, for sure, spring rolls..." she trailed off, thinking.

"Sweet and sour chicken for me," Ed said. "Been the same for twenty years." He had tried almond a few times, an orange or pineapple chicken if he felt particularly adventurous. It was normally only when he'd gotten used to a place, though. And since neither had tried Mei Foo yet, sweet and sour was his safest bet. Very hard to mess that up.

"Oh right! Almost forgot," Cha-Cha nodded, adding it to her mental list. Only, twenty ears ago, she was barely old enough to eat solid foods at all. That was alright though; she'd always thought older men had more appeal. Sometimes even older than Ed, like Mr. My Left Foot was. Cha-Cha didn't think too much about him anymore. "Okay, rice, spring rolls, chicken...I can't really think of anything else. Well fortune cookies, obviously," she added.

"It's not Chinese without them," he agreed. He wondered if he'd get the same fortune he'd received three times. 'You and your wife will live happily ever after.' Ed had spent too much time thinking about those tiny slips of paper. Three times. That was a strange coincidence, indeed. He remembered the first time it'd arrived and how he had glared at it for a full minute. Then he got it again. He was gay, damn it, why did these keep coming? The third time had been his first evening with Victoria, the first drag queen he'd ever dated. That night it had seemed these fortunes were making a little more sense.

Cha-Cha beamed and lugged the book over to the wall phone, tracing her finger under the number. "How was work?" she asked, to make conversation as she picked up the receiver. "I'm hoping you didn't have the same luck," she laughed to herself before quickly placing their order.

"I'm relieved to say I didn't. Nothing happened today. Which is good for the city, no one's died today that we know of, but that means a boring day at my desk for me. Although honestly, I'd rather be bored than talking to a victims family."

"I guess that's true," Cha-Cha nodded her head. Though to her, being boring was the eighth deadly sin. As well as being tacky (neon pink lips not fitting under that classification). "Why do you have to work on the weekends? You should get those off," she decided.

"Somebody's gotta do it," he said with a shrug. "The people trying to make the world worse aren't taking a day off, so neither can we." He paused a moment. "I volunteered for it. I still can't figure out why." He told himself repeatedly that it was because he wanted to help out his fellow detectives, the ones who said they'd rather die than be in uniform on Saturday and away from their social life. Ed had a sinking feeling his reason for working was to give himself an excuse for not having one.

"Yeah , I can't figure it out either," Cha-Cha admitted. She leaned up to place the phonebook up on top of the fridge, a totally different place than where she'd found it. "But you're home now. Don't tell me you're going in again tomorrow, you need some day off in all that," she added, sitting back down.

"Sunday's I insist on having off," he agreed. Probably had something do with growing up in a religious house. Remember the Sabbath day and all that. Though honestly he couldn't remember the last time he'd been to church.

"Good. You can't work yourself to death," Cha-Cha replied. Not that she knew anything about working...period. "Is that your only one off?"

"No-yes-actually, yes." Ed fumbled over his answer, never really thinking about his schedule. His day to day routine involved work, and it was what he was used to. So much so that he almost forgot that the average person didn't spend the ridiculous amount of time out the house that he did. She hadn't given much insight into what she considered acceptable working hours, so he asked, "How often do you perform?"

"Are you sure?" Cha-Cha teased, raising her eyebrows slightly. He was almost cute when he got so red in the face. Not that she'd say it; big strong cops didn't usually appreciate being called cute. Or so she'd found in the past. "Not every night. We play, you know...mostly to tourists, so it's not always a steady stream of people," she admitted. They could get crowds but...she sometimes had a feeling they were just there for the novelty of it.

Ed nodded along as she answered. "There's not a lot regulars?" Seemed unusual that a place hosting performers of Cha-Cha's talent wouldn't be a normal haunt for some men. Alright true, he hadn't actually seen her perform, but he had _seen_ her, and that was enough for him.

"Not really. There's one or two, you know, they kind of stay at the back so it's hard to tell," she admitted, biting the corner of her lip. That didn't make it sound too classy at all. "But I guess the thing is, a lot of people who come to New York...want to see something really out there. And seeing a bunch of talented girls do their thing seems to do the trick," she stressed the word 'talented'.

Ed didn't think saying 'Yeah that would do it' was the correct response, so he nodded again. _He_ wouldn't find it that 'out there', as she put it, but could definitely see why tourists would stop to take a gander.

"You wouldn't happen to be there on Sundays, would you?" he asked with a less than hopeful grin. It had sounded earlier like she too had the day off. Which in one was a good thing, but in another, disappointing.

"Honestly, I'm flexible. I happen to be best friends with Busty Rusty herself, so she understands if I can't go in one day," Cha-Cha replied proudly. She didn't mention that she usually did a show on Saturday nights. Ivana and Grace didn't know about Ed, but Rusty was a little more grounded. And could keep a secret a lot better. "I try to go in on a weekend, more people how up. Though honestly things have been...really crazy down there lately," she didn't elaborate too much; but with Walt in the hospital it was hard to say if there even would be a show. Karaoke tracks didn't suffice as well, and you couldn't be a better emcee than her. "So...as far as I know I'm still open for tomorrow."

"I was hoping I'd be able to see you at work," Ed said. He smiled. "Probably much more interesting than if you came to watch me." Drilling endless amounts of stubborn citizens. Staring at his partner Lennie filling the coffee pot. The tense moments spent standing over a corpse.

Yeah. Definitely not a good idea.

Immediately Cha-Cha brightened up, looking over at him. "You'd come see it?" she asked excitedly. She loved to show off, for anybody. But it was always better when someone she knew was watching. Especially someone she was really starting to...like.

"Of course," Ed laughed, surprised at her reaction. "You can't expect me to not be curious after the way you talk about it."

"I'll have to practice extra hard then," she grinned, clearly excited by his interest. Even the guys she dated who did stick around for more than a week, they rarely took time out of their busy schedules. They never told her what was so important they couldn't come out for an hour or two. Cha-Cha suspected for some of them she was better off not knowing.

Ed was glad she wouldn't mind if he popped in. But he couldn't tell if she had meant she was or wasn't working this weekend. Perhaps his inquiring about Sundays gave the impression he hoped she wasn't? Because while that would give them another day to do something, a drag club would be the last place Lennie would look for Ed on a Sunday.

Then again, what was the rush? He could always go another weekend if she had the day off. "Are you working tomorrow?"

"Guess so. If Rusty's up to it," she added. It had been awhile since Walt had gone to the hospital, and they'd had shows since then. But still, sometimes she'd be unavailable at the oddest times. "Do you know where it is, or do you need the address?" she asked, hoping she'd remember.

Ed smiled weakly. "I honestly have no idea where it is," he said. He hadn't heard about it until...her.

"Up to it?" Was her friend sick?

"Don't let me forget to get you the address, then," Cha-Cha replied, hoping she'd remember herself. "Well...things have been a little crazy over there," she admitted, trying to explain the best she could. "I don't even know all the details. But her friend...our friend, he got really hurt. It was all really nasty business, Rusty didn't even tell me a lot of it," she added with a sigh. "He was in the hospital for a long time. He really appreciated having for drag queen nurses checking in on him every hour," she laughed. She hadn't minded it at all, though. And somehow, she had to wonder if it was such a pain for him like he let on. "Anyway, he's at home now, but Rusty still spends a lot of time with him, helps him out, I think."

She paused. It hadn't even occurred to her, but... "Walter...Koontz. Do you know him? He used to be a police man. Some kind of hero, apparently."

Ed tossed the name around in his head. It sounded familiar. Walter. _Walter_.

And then it clicked.

"Walt 'The Wall'?" he asked, surprised. He'd never heard him referred to as Walter. And he'd never met the man. But he had heard of him.

"Yeah, I guess, " Cha-Cha shrugged. "I don't know what you guys call him. Mr. My Left Foot he was to me, and Mr. My Left Foot he shall remain," she told him. "Does that mean you know him?"

"No I never met him, I was in the gang unit when he was working. He's retired now, right? But I have heard of him, and yeah, a hero alright," he smiled honestly. "Saved, eh, oh what's his name," he tried to recall the other guard on duty that night thirteen or so years ago. "Well, he and like, ten hostages or something." He felt bad for not remembering the details of her friends heroism. "But I'm sure you've heard that story a thousand times."

"Oh, his friend? I danced with him...I think..." Cha-Cha trailed off. She danced with a lot of people at that party. What was his name, though? "I dunno. I'm not even sure he was sober. I'm pretty sure he told me that though. He was telling everybody," she grinned.

Ed thought dancing with a friend of a friend was a random piece of information, but he logged it away anyhow.

"Walt 'The Wall' Koontz..." Ed said absently. "This world just keeps getting smaller." He almost asked if she knew a drag queen named Starr, but didn't. With the way things were going, he thought to himself, she probably would and that could get very weird very fast.

"Doesn't it? I still can't stop thinking about all the other people who could've walked into the Life that day," Cha-Cha agreed. She knew they were way past that, but it was still pretty amazing when she thought about it. While she had met people in stranger ways, the Life seemed to attract a million different types of people. There was no guarantee it was going to be someone she'd enjoy so much.

Ed felt better knowing it wasn't just him who still kept going over the odds of that meeting. It seemed every conversation they had somehow found it's way back to that afternoon. "And you know, I hardly stop in there for lunch..." Really, it shouldn't have been he who walked in at that time. Most of the time he went straight to Lennie's favorite hot dog stand, if only because he was dragged along by Lennie himself.

Though he wasn't very hungry, Ed suddenly wondered when the food would arrive. He glanced at the door, as if staring it down would cause it to magically open and reveal his beloved sweet and sour chicken.

Cha-Cha simply shook her head. Every time they thought about it, there was one more reason why it shouldn't have happened. But it did. Despite all the odds, it did. She couldn't help but laugh when she noticed Ed eyeing the door. "Think we'll get it free?" she asked, twisting around to look at the time. It had been about 25 minutes. They were cutting it close...

"Everything's going our way this week," he laughed. "So we probably will, if our luck holds out." The gambler in him itched for a casino at the thought. What he could win with this streak...

Ed squeezed his eyes shut to chase the image of Atlantic City away.

"Here's hoping," Cha-Cha replied. Especially since she wasn't even sure how much money was in her purse. And she didn't want him to pay again; she was fine with mooching off her friends some times, but not dates. Not twice in a row anyway. Or...not twice in a row when the first place was ridiculously expensive. Something like that.

"Are you okay?" she asked him curiously, crossing one leg over the other. "It'll be here soon if you're hungry. I hope," she added. Strike one, Mei Foo.

"I'm fine," he lied with a smile. Ed didn't think she'd be impressed if he told her he was a twice failed Gambler's Anonymous attendee. He also didn't think she'd fall for the 'Something in my eye' line, so he went along with her assumption he was hungry. "Not dying of hunger or anything, but I hope they get here on time."

"I hope they don't. I don't pass up free food," Cha-Cha replied with a smirk. Like they read her mind though, there was soon a knock at the door. "So close," she laughed, and opened her purse to retrieve her wallet. She had one twenty and a five. Sighing, she turned to him. "I hate to ask...do you have a ten? It shouldn't be more than that for two people, do you think?"

"Yeah," he said, fishing around in his pockets for his wallet. When he found the ten he handed it over. So much for their luck, he thought a bit on the optimistic side. Slot machines were becoming less and less attractive.

"Thank you thank you," Cha-Cha took the money from him and opened the door quickly. At least it smelled good, she noted, even if it wasn't free. Taking the food, she closed the door slowly and handed him the change. "Guess we'll have to see if your chicken can stand up to twenty years worth," she teased him, setting the bag down and going to pull some plates down.

Ed peeked into a container and was happy to see he'd found his chicken on the first try. He opened it all the way and thankfully took the plate she offered, and then looked to see if they had included complementary chopsticks. It seemed less and less places were doing that nowadays. Aha, they did!

He broke them apart and held them in his right hand, clicking them together a few times to get the feel of things.

"Oh, those things!" Cha-Cha sighed as she pulled the top off the rice, setting it on the table so she could grab her pair. "I can never figure these things out. Don't know how Chinese people do it. Don't you find they slide all over the place?" she asked, doing her best to balance the sticks on her fingers. People had attempted to show her before, but it only got her frustrated.

Ed laughed and set his chopsticks down. "Here, move this finger over here," he said, moving her fingers around. It didn't occur to him to ask permission, and later he hoped she hadn't minded him taking over the situation. But after all, he had been at this Chinese thing for quite a while. "They tell you not to put a lot of your middle finger on the bottom one, but it helps. I think they only say that because it doesn't look as smooth, but who's really watching that closely?" Ed also mentioned that the only finger that should be moving when you're using them is the pointer finger on top. That had been the toughest thing to get used to years ago, but now he couldn't get the others to move even when he tried.

Cha-Cha smiled to herself as he tried to help her. She was so hopeless with chopsticks and had given up so long ago. But she didn't mind the attention she was getting from him. Not at all. "Like this?" she asked him, purposely moving her finger in the opposite way from what he said. She was shameless, she would never deny that.

Ed was on a mission, and so he didn't notice the smile. Or the obvious mistake. His eyes were glued to their hands, and as he politely told her no, she hadn't done it right, his fingers went back to setting hers up properly. It wasn't until he had spent over a minute with her hands, which mysteriously kept sliding in the wrong direction, that he successfully had her holding the chopsticks. Whether or not she'd be able to keep them there was another matter. It was also then he thought he saw an amused smile trying to stay hidden, and it hit him that he had fallen for the old 'I can't do it' routine.

Cha-Cha pretended to concentrate on what he was showing her, but couldn't resist faking him out a few more times. She wasn't that good with chopsticks, so some of it wasn't even on purpose. But by the end she was biting the inside of her lip to keep herself from smiling and giving it away. "Is this right?" she asked finally, holding them as properly as she could.

Ed's hands had been hovering above hers the first few times he'd let go, waiting to see if she'd need him to rearrange them. This time he pulled them back to his lap, embarrassed at how easily she'd tricked him. "Yeah," he said, picking up his own and expertly swiping a piece of chicken from the carton. "Now let's see you pick something up." At least he had her beat in that, he thought.

"...Oh. Kay," Cha-Cha replied. Of course there was a second part to all that, she'd totally forgotten. Adjusting herself in her seat, she reached her hand toward the carton, keeping the rest of her fingers but the middle still, like he said. She was able to lift a piece of chicken, but before long it was on the table. Frowning, she tried again. And again. And a fourth time. Finally, with a frustrated groan, she stabbed it with one of the sticks and let it plop onto her plate, very un-gracefully.

"I did it!" she told him with fake pride.

Ed hadn't planned on making her try, but he had to do something in retaliation, he thought with a grin. He applauded her final attempt before stealing the piece she dropped. "Good job," he said as he munched.

"I thought so," Cha-Cha agreed with a laugh, taking a spoonful of rice as well before standing up to grab a fork. If she couldn't get a giant piece of chicken, no way would she be able to manage rice. "Is it any good? Worth the wait at least?" she asked, returning with her fork.

"Yeah," he nodded, clicking his chopsticks together as he pondered which piece was next. "Pretty good." He waited until she took a bite before asking her opinion.

Cha-Cha took a small bite, thinking as she chewed it. "Well I'm no expert, but it's not bad," she decided. A little greasy, like all Chinese food was. She made a note not to have too much though didn't say so out loud; no need to ruin it for him just cause she was concerned. Instead she had some rice, hoping that'd be somewhat safer.

Ed eventually opted for a fork as well, but only after he helped himself to rice with the foreign utensil. So far chopsticks were his only claim to fame. "I like it," he concluded. He was thankful to have something to do while he pondered what to talk about next. It wasn't that it was awkwardly quiet or anything, they'd only just begun eating. He was just unusually eager to hear what she had to say, which meant the conversation had to be kept alive.

Cha-Cha agreed, enjoying her rice easily with a fork. "Maybe next time I'll get the hang of chopsticks," she sighed, trying to hold back a smile. "Only, I think I've said that about ten other times before," she added with a giggle.

"It takes everyone a while to get the hang of it," he admitted.

Ed took a moment to look around her apartment as he ate. He noticed the VHS tapes she mentioned, but wasn't close enough to read much of the titles. Maybe he would wander over there later to learn something.

"I think five or so years is longer than awhile. Give or take," Cha-Cha giggled, still not saying her actual age. There was no reason for that... "I'll stick to my fork. Do you think Chinese people have trouble with cutlery?" she asked suddenly. It had never occurred to her, but it would only be fair...

"They probably catch on faster than we do," he laughed. "But I'm sure they think it's just as strange as we find chopsticks." Ed tried to remember if he had ever heard Wong saying anything about it. But then again, he didn't think the psychologist had been born in China...

"Probably, considering this is so much easier! Why does it matter how it looks? You're eating, you're not gonna be all that attractive the rest of you, so why does it matter what your hand looks like?" she had to ask, taking a bite of her chicken to demonstrate.

"Why don't the French shave?" he asked. "Just one of those things."

You'd never find Ed in France. Ever.

Cha-Cha paused, putting her fork down for a moment to look at him better. "They don't _shave_?" she repeated, thinking of what he could mean by that. "Like...their faces, right?" she asked hopefully. She could understand not shaving your legs consistently, kind of, if you didn't think you'd have to bear them any time soon. But other places, how could you not?

"The women don't shave anything as far as I know," Ed said. "Legs, underarms..." He'd never been to France, so he couldn't say he knew this firsthand. And God willing he never would. True, he was attracted to men. And normally the men didn't shave their legs. Normally. But still, the women who didn't seemed even more unattractive.

"Oh. Ew," Cha-Cha replied, wrinkling her nose and crossing her legs. So France was pretty scenery, not so hygienic people. Now she knew. "Some of them must though, I mean...well...some of them must! Or is it the opposite from over here, and shaving's considered gross?" she asked, as she really didn't know. It was all so confusing...

"I'm sure some do. But I think around, it was something ridiculous," he thought for a second, "I think it was something around ninety percent didn't."

Cha-Cha nodded her head calmly, finishing up her Chinese. "Remind me not to go to France," she added, grinning lightly and only half kidding. Not that she'd probably get to France anyway, but that was one more reason not to go. "Have you been? They say it's really beautiful there, anyway."

"No. The shaving thing...I...no. Can't do it," he laughed. "Anyway, I can't speak French to save my life. If I did go somewhere, it'd be either Spain or Russia. If only because I could speak the language." He paused. "Well, I know enough to get a date. That's about it." Fluent enough for him.

"You speak Spanish?" she asked, a smile coming to her face. She hadn't met many people in the area that could. "Did you learn in high school?" she asked, knowing some people did have to take courses on it.

"I do," he grinned. "I only took a year of it in high school, but I had a few Spanish friends so I picked it up pretty quickly."

"One more thing in common then," Cha-Cha pointed out with a smile. She knew people who took it in high school, but it seemed few stuck with it. Few cared enough to wan to learn it and only did it for the credit. "How many does that make then? I lost count," she admitted.

"Languages? Three, if you count English. Though I have to admit, the Russian is rusty." He never really got past the small talk. But like he said, enough to get a date was good enough for him.

"That's still two more than a lot of people though," she replied. "I can speak English and Spanish, but I get them mixed up," she admitted. Sometimes, especially when she was excited, a Spanish phrase would pop out without any intention. Course she could also use it to bug Grace, especially when she refused to tell what it all meant.

"In that case," Ed smiled, "If you ever get in trouble, get your languages 'mixed up'. I'm the best Spanish translator we've got," he said, offering to help her out of trouble and at the same time joking. "Of course, I can't really see you doing anything that would warrant detectives getting involved."

Cha-Cha laughed, covering her mouth and nodding her head. "Easy enough. I am glad you walked in that day, Ed. The things you can do with a detective on your side," she teased, pretending to consider it.

Ed laughed along with her. "Just don't go getting too carried away," he teased. "I can't get you out of _everything_." But explaining that someone was 'new to the country' and 'didn't know' almost always got people off of stupid little things. Murder, not so much. But he definitely did not see that coming from this girl.

"No robbing banks? Darn," Cha-Cha feigned disappointment, trying to keep a straight face. "You'd better not tempt me then. I might...walk on the grass. Or never wear a seatbelt again. Or neglect to keep my pet on a leash," her resolve broke and she was giggling again.

Ed leaned back against the couch, careful not to tip his Chinese too much. He enjoyed watching her giggle, he decided.

"I'm also like this with the DA," he said crossing his fingers. They weren't the best of friends, he and McCoy, but both being in the closet, they shared a certain respect for the other and tended to help each other out when possible.

"DA?" Cha-Cha repeated. She knew the simple terms like detective, but as soon as they started getting way into it, they lost her. Whenever she caught a court movie, she could never be sure whether she was watching the beginning or the end. It all just blended in to her.

"District Attorney," Ed clarified. "Basically the top lawyer." Jack McCoy was actually the EADA, but that was a mouthful.

"So basically, I can commit crimes, and sue people I don't like for no reason?" Cha-Cha asked with a laugh. "Always good to know. Definitely glad I ran into you," she joked.

"Welcome to the high life," he laughed. "Celebrities don't even have it this good." He shrugged in a 'what can I say' manner and said, "I'm here to help."

"Well honey, most celebrities aren't three-time Miss Flawless winners, are they?" Cha-Cha asked, pretending to toss her hair. And forgetting at the last second she had no wig on, so really no hair to toss. "You're here to help me, basically," she filled in. "To what do I owe this special treatment?"

"Probably your looks," he said, nodding as seriously as he could, fighting off a smirk.

He blinked. "Three?" Ed asked. "I'm impressed!"

"Least you're honest. You're not so bad yourself you know," Cha-Cha giggled, obviously happy with that response. "Three. That's in a row," she clarified. The one after another factor was very important, it wasn't three spread out. That would barely be impressive at all.

Can't forget the in the row part. And Ed appreciated the comment.

He was curious. "What exactly goes on in the Miss Flawless contest?"

"It's like a drag talent show," Cha-Cha replied, putting her plate down on the coffee table. "You need something to do; I sing. Hopefully something you do decently, but not always," she added, remembering a few cringe-worthy acts in particular. "There's that...then sometimes they talk to contestants too...well, the ones that have any chance of winning, anyway," Cha-Cha's least favorite part. She always came this close to saying something stupid.

"I bet that gets quite a turn out, eh?" Closet thing many people would ever get to Miss America.

"I like to think so," Cha-Cha replied with a smile, shrugging her shoulders. "It can get tough though, especially with some of the people. Apparently people can get testy when the same person wins three times in a row," she bit her lip, smiling lightly through it. It wasn't that she cared so much what they said to her face, but she wasn't ignorant to some of the rumors they'd sent off about her. Most of them true, some of them semi-true (she'd only slept with a judge once though, and in her defense, she didn't know!)

"The jealous ones always have to try and ruin it for the winner," he sighed. Ed could definitely see why others would feel threatened by Cha-Cha, and he had no doubt that her voice was just as beautiful. "When's the next contest?"

"Tell me about it. Luckily next year I won't have to worry about it...not from the same people, anyway," Cha-Cha replied with a sigh. It had just gotten to be to much the year before, especially with everything else exploding at once. "About four and a half months from now. We're already starting to get ready," she paused. "Maybe you can come see it this year, if you want to. I mean, if there's no...mass...city-wide murder spree or anything," she added, leaning forward to knock on the wooden coffee table.

Ed nodded. "I'd like to see it," he smiled. He appreciated her asking him, he wasn't certain he was up to inviting himself to something like this yet, as intriguing as it sounded. It'd been a while since he'd been around a single drag queen, let alone a room full. "And hopefully New York criminals won't be causing too much trouble in my area."

"I guess just keep your calendar free for the Saturdays in April, then. I don't know the exact day yet, maybe Rusty knows..." Cha-Cha trailed off. When Rusty met Ed...or rather, when Grace and Ivana met Ed. She wasn't too worried if it happened...she was sure they'd like him. They'd like him _very_ much. She could imagine them swarming already, and grinned to herself at the thought.

Ed made a note to ask for all the April weekends off. And now that he thought about it, maybe he'd ask to work weekends a good deal less. After all, he had volunteered for Saturday's the past few years. He deserved a break. Right?

"Does Rusty enter it too, or is she too busy with her club?" he asked, genuinely interested in her friends. He assumed, and actually rather hoped, Cha-Cha would eventually be comfortable enough with him to introduce him to the friends she mentioned, and any information beforehand would be helpful.

"She mostly supports us...me, Amazing Grace and Ivana Mann," Cha-Cha named them, looking for his reaction. Ivana loved the looks she got for her name, and she knew he'd get it. "She doesn't expect she'd ever win...she'd a bit older than we are as well," she added. She wasn't sure she was as old as Ed was; a lady never did tell.

Ed's ears heard _'me, Amazing Grace and I want a man.'_ His brow furrowed as he opened his mouth to say something, but then it clicked and he chuckled.

And then there was the second thing. How old is old, he wondered with a grin. Ed nodded in understanding anyway. If she were anywhere near him, he understood her hesitation. He occasionally felt to old for some things. But there was a first time for everything. "You never know," Ed smiled, "We old timers have a few surprises left in us."

"I happen to like old timers," Cha-Cha told him with a laugh. Even older than Ed sometimes. "I think she's better than she thinks she is. But it's hard, I mean even for me. These girls get younger every year...I think there was an eighteen year old last year, which was sort of BS because they say 19's the limit. People lie though," she sighed, shaking her head. At least when Cha-Cha lied about her age, she went younger rather than older. Some people never learned.

"Now I'm curious what your surprises are, though," she couldn't help but add with a small grin.

Ed smiled secretively and went back the previous topic. "Well wouldn't you consider beating an 18 year old a reason to give you even more bragging rights?" He did. If there were the creepers in attendance there like some of the bars Ed visited, he would have assumed they'd go for the newest contestants. The older they get, the younger they want. At least that was what the few he ran into did. It was those times Ed appreciated his age.

Cha-Cha rolled her eyes at his smile. "Fine. You're a boring old man then," she decided, biting back a laugh. She considered his comment for a minute. She'd never even considered that before. "I like you, Ed Green, you know that?" she asked, letting the laugh out. "I just hope I can do it again." Three years was a pretty amazing streak, and most people would probably quit after that. But Cha-Cha loved it too much...maybe it was selfish, but she wanted to keep on winning.

Ed put on a mock hurt expression that quickly dissolved away a moment later. "I'd like to see you win, it'd be a good way to start my Miss Flawless experiences," he nodded. On the inside though, he unknowingly agreed with her. Three was already impressive, and some may be rooting for the ones who've yet to be crowned.

Cha-Cha laughed at his expression and bit her lip, before leaning in to kiss his cheek. She knew he wouldn't be expecting it; she wasn't expecting herself to do it. But at the same time, it was very hard to resist at the moment. He wouldn't mind, would he? Quickly she moved back, and didn't act like it was a big deal, just kept doing what she was doing.

"Well, hopefully I'll win for you, then. Course if I don't we'll be boycotting it anyway, so no need to worry about starting on a bad foot," she added with a laugh. Only three-quarters kidding.

Ed's eyes lit up, and since she seemed casual, he tried to mask his excitement as well. Though it was hard. He needed to remember to compliment and pout more if this was the reward.

"So that's it then," he nodded. "If you lose we protest. But when you win, we can laugh about this conversation."

Cha-Cha was relieved that he didn't protest, and reached up to put a piece of hair behind her ear. Totally forgetting there was no hair to push back. "That's pretty much been my way of doing it from the start," she agreed with a laugh, nodding her head. "Unless one of my girls won that is. Then it's okay. Well..." she paused. "It's more okay than it would be if some sixteen year old won."

"Have you only been in it three years and won each time, or did you get a few practice years in?" If leaving when she lost was her plan, he wondered if that had been considered her first year. Maybe she didn't decide that until after she won? However it came to be, he completely understood. When she eventually lost (which was not going to be this year, he decided, having yet to see her perform) he could see why she wouldn't want to return the following year. No one wants to be the former winner trying over and over to come back. It seemed to almost kill the fact they'd actually won. No, he couldn't see her doing that. Instead he envisioned her winning for a fourth time and bowing out gracefully with 'Follow this, you bitches.' Ed mentally rolled his eyes. What a time to be quoting Cher.

"I was in it for...two years before I won. But I loved it, which is why I'm still in it even now," Cha-Cha explained. "I think somewhere deep down I'm trying to get to five. It could happen," she added with a smile. She didn't know if there was a record for most consecutive wins...but if she didn't hold it already, she would by then.

Ed rested an elbow on the couch's arm and plopped his chin into his hand, looking at her thoughtfully, and even more impressed by her drive. "Has anyone won as much as you, in a row or otherwise?" he asked. Didn't her winning streak warrant some type of award itself?

"I don't know. The first two times I went, different girls won. But before that, I've never heard. I don't even know how long the competition's been running," Cha-Cha replied, thinking about it. It had to be over five years, she remembered there being a Veteran Miss Flawless there in her first year. But how old would make a veteran?

"In my opinion, that would be a no, and you're one of kind. Although I figured that out already." He pretended to look a bit worried. "I don't have to worry about fighting off a fan club, do I?" Although he had to admit, he had practice when it came to fighting off angry men.

"Course I am," Cha-Cha agreed with a wink. At his comment she couldn't fight another giggle from bubbling up. What he said wasn't exactly funny, but she couldn't help it. "Maybe. Would you fight for me, Ed?" she asked dramatically, though the thought of it was interesting. In a romantic, movie climax way.

"_Of course, Cha-Cha,_" he said, matching her tone. He even took her hand to make the moment that much cheesier. Like so many times this evening, his straight face could only hold so long before he broke into an amused grin. "Years of working the gang unit finally pays off," he joked.

"Be still, my heart," she replied, not even bothering to put on any voice this time; she was too busy giggling. Thinking about that only got her laughing harder. "The Cha-Cha gang...baby, I don't care how many years you spent in the gang unit, the world will _never_ be ready for that," she shook her head, just imagining it. "Course, if they like me so much they'd have to like you too, wouldn't they? Since I like you," she added.

"I don't know," he warned. "They might want me out of the way. Keep you all for themselves." He then added dryly, "And your confidence in me is touching."

"Well...too bad for them. I'd take tall dark detectives over crazy creepy fans any day," Cha-Cha assured him with a smirk, squeezing his hand before letting go of it. "I'm just saying, any gang of mine would have to be very cunning! Very cunning indeed. We might have...glitter glue guns," she brought a hand up to her mouth in fake shock.

Ed bulged his eyes out. "That's it, I'm out," he laughed. "I'm no match for glitter. My weakness has been found." Ed hadn't noticed that after he'd taken her hand, he had failed to let go. Not until she squeezed his and let go, that is. He watched her hand rise to her mouth, oddly missing it already.

"Not many people are," Cha-Cha agreed with a laugh, trying to imagine Ed covered in glitter. Big strong policeman covered in rhinestones. It was all she could do not to burst into laughter again over seemingly nothing.

It hadn't occurred to her that they'd been sitting there for the last little bit doing nothing but talk. She wasn't sure how long he'd even been over; it felt like fifteen minutes but it was probably over an hour and a half. "So..." she sighed with a smile, before sitting up and grabbing the bag. "Do you want your fortune?"

"Yeah," he said, eying it warily. Would getting his usual fortune be a good thing? He sort of understood it now, but it still had an air of mystery to it. "I have a feeling I know what it's going to say..."

"How could you know?" Cha-Cha asked him, handing him the small packet. She brought her own up to her teeth to open it. Once out, she carefully slid the slip of paper out of the cookie, opening it and reading carefully. "You will be fortunate in everything you put your hands on...in bed," she added quietly, giggling to herself.

"Heard that," he chuckled. "My friends add that on to the end too." He looked down at his. He didn't believe it. Four times in a row. _You and your wife will live happily ever after_. Alright, seriously, he thought. Did Chinese people have this fortune sitting around waiting for him? Was there some conspiracy going on?

Ed looked from his fortune, to Cha-Cha, and back. He shoved it in his pocket. "So did you say you liked the food from this place?" he asked, diverting attention from the paper. He hoped.

"It was pretty good," she nodded her head, a smile still on her face from her own fortune. After a minute she nearly hit herself, "Oh! Sorry, what did yours say? Not that it can really beat mine, but you know," she added with a grin, relaxing into the couch.

"Ah, it's an old one," he said. "Something about the future being happy, or money or...you know. Whatever. I get it all the time." It was one of those that are hard to explain. Well, sort of. She _could_ just read it. And hopefully assume that by wife, for him anyway, it didn't exactly mean _wife _wife. But he felt a need to horde it away for the time being.

"You get it all the time? The same exact one?" Cha-Cha asked, cracking her cookie and nibbling on one side of it. The cookie part wasn't as fun as the fortune, but no point letting it go to waste either. "Must mean something, you know. Can I see?"

He shouldn't have said that, he thought. "Sure." Reluctantly he dug into his pocket, feeling around for the stupid piece of paper. He handed it over. He supposed refusing to surrender it would result in more questions, and he would eventually have to give it up.

Cha-Cha read the slip of paper, raising an eyebrow. "I see," she said softly, biting the inside of her lip. If it was a coincidence, it was a coincidence. But if he kept getting it. "But, I thought you were..." she started, handing the slip back to him and pretending to be very interested in her cookie.

"I am," he said quickly, assuming 'gay' was on the tip of her tongue. She wasn't looking at him for the first time all evening, and Ed crumpled the paper weakly. "I don't get it either," he sighed. "The first few times it drove me crazy. Well, it still does. But once I got it when I was with Starr, and it started to make more sense..." Was it okay to call her a drag queen? She referred to Miss Flawless as a drag contest, so...did that mean it wasn't insulting? Everyone was different... "That, I don't know, maybe 'wife' was a different way of saying I'm supposed to end up with a drag queen?"

Cha-Cha nodded her head, thinking about it. If he was gay...he wasn't going to get married. Well, not legally. Not yet. And even then he wouldn't have a wife, unless...

"Who's Starr?" she changed the subject. That just seemed a little...heavy for the second date. No need to jump to conclusions...even if that was what it meant.

"Oh," he smiled, brightening a bit more than he should have and then kicking himself for it. "She was the first drag queen I ever dated. And ever met, actually. But I haven't heard from her in years," said Ed. How did he get that fortune four times in a row over that span of time? Easy. He'd stopped reading them.

Cha-Cha repeated the name to herself, trying to recognize it. Starr could be a fairly common name, in her community at least, though. Plus, his Starr would have to be older. His age. "I don't..._think_ I know her. I didn't know you were with a drag queen before," she added. She'd figured she was his first, she usually was. "Was she the only one?"

"Yeah she was," he answered. "In college, I don't know how many years ago...Before I was in anything involving gang units and detectives." After over a year of running around together, not caring who witnessed them holding hands, kissing...Starr had not taken kindly to the secretive life Ed had walked into.

Ed found himself immensely relieved Cha-Cha did not know Starr.

"Did you break up with her?" Cha-Cha had to ask. It wasn't any of her business, but at the same time it was in a way. If he didn't treat her right, she wanted to know. Not that she was expecting him to have done anything wrong. But she'd feel better if she knew.

"We drifted apart. She didn't like me being a detective. Suddenly I couldn't take her anywhere, I couldn't introduce her to a lot of the people I was meeting..." Ed knew this was making the idea of dating him sound worse than before. He kicked himself for bringing up Starr. And for ordering Chinese.

Cha-Cha frowned lightly as he spoke, not sure what to make of that. She did like him, so going a little out of their way wouldn't be a huge deal. But she didn't think she'd have to hide behind him, either. She knew they'd have to keep it on the down low, but not totally hidden either. Not totally. "But..." she paused, unsure of how to say this. "It wouldn't be like that again...would it? I mean, I know we'd have to be careful, I know that. But..." she trailed off, looking to him for some explanation.

"No, it wouldn't," he said quickly. "I was originally so cautious it was ridiculous. It was the first time I had to be careful, and I didn't handle it right." He hadn't eased her into it. "But it's much easier now, and I'm not as worried. I know where to go and where not to go, and as for people, I have plenty of friends who would adore you."

Cha-Cha felt better at his words, a smile returning to her face. So he made a mistake in the beginning. But she had no reason not to trust him now, no reason not to give it a try. "We'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen," she said, making sure to use 'we'll' rather than 'we'd'. "I have friends who would love you too. _Will_ love you. Will they _ever_ love you," she bit back a laugh.

Ed let out a relieved laugh. He wanted to apologize for killing the mood during both dates so far, but thought it better that that be the end of it. He wondered if she was too iffy for him to get much closer than he was. He started to move closer but hesitated. He opted for giving her a smile and said, "I guess this is one of my surprises. The next will be more enjoyable," he joked.

"Here's hoping baby, I don't know how much of this I can take. You're not a criminal, are you? Or married?" Cha-Cha teased him, fairly certain he was neither of those things. She felt better knowing about Starr. Even though they didn't work out, he seemed to be pretty sure things would be different. What more could she ask for? He was a detective, if they had to dodge around a little to keep him safe...she wasn't one hundred percent convinced it would work out, but she wasn't gonna give up without trying.

She rose an eyebrow at his hesitation and moved in a little closer, to let him know it was okay.

"If at anytime you think I'm overreacting, like driving three and a half hours south," he joked, "_please_ let me know." Ed had, like he said, learned where to take dates. But in the past, if for some reason he ran into someone he knew, he and the man could try to make up some excuse for dining together, walking too close, being at the same theatre.. 'An old college buddy.' 'We just ran into each other on the street, thought I'd buy him a beer.' 'My friend.' He had no excuse for sitting across the table from a drag queen. Even 'She's my friend' wouldn't fly with most.

But at the moment, he didn't care. Her scooting over gave him the go ahead he needed. Ed shifted around on the couch so he was facing her, one leg tucked underneath himself. He kissed her softly, longer than the Wednesday night goodbye but still appropriate for date two. She'd got him earlier, it was only fair.

Cha-Cha returned his kiss, letting her eyes close and inwardly smiling through it. It had been way too long. Odd, considering she'd only really kissed him once, and it had only been a few nights before. But she remembered why she'd liked it so much. She broke the kiss slowly, a content smile resting on her lips. "I'll let you know," was all she could think of to say.

"Good." Ed replied almost in a whisper, voice failing him momentarily as he grinned. Now, should he beat it outta there now that the fortune issue was resolved, or stay a bit longer. More time to see her, but also more chances for him to do something stupid.

He wanted more time with her, he decided. He assumed she'd kick him out when she was tired. Or tired of him.

Cha-Cha smiled to herself unsure of what to say. She was enjoying just feeling...good. Comfortable. She had no idea what time it was or how long he'd been there, it didn't feel like very long. Then again, time did fly...

"Hey," she thought out loud as something crossed her mind. "Do you have that movie? You Got Mail?"

"Yeah," Ed replied. "You're not going to make me go _all_ the way home to get it, are you?" he teased.

"You bet I am," Cha-Cha smirked. "If you want, anyway. Unless you got places to be," she added. Though she didn't know where he'd be off to so late at night. It was nearly ten thirty, a quick glance at the clock told her. So not really late, but late enough. It was dark outside, at least...

"Nah," he said, pushing off the couch. "Nowhere to go. 'Cept upstairs." Ed stretched and winced, he hadn't gotten up for almost two hours. "I'll go grab it."

"Can you drop off my dry cleaning on the way?" Cha-Cha asked as casually as possible, though her smile gave her away. She stood up as well, short without her heels kicked to the side of the couch. Not like she was going too far.

Ed chuckled. "I'm not going that way, sorry." He didn't bother grabbing his coat, and couldn't help feeling strange. Leaving. In winter. No coat? He knew he was staying in the building, but still. "Do you want to come, or wait here? Should be back in five minutes."

"I can come if you want," Cha-Cha shrugged, looking towards her shoes. She could put them back on, but that was way too much effort for five minutes. It wasn't like they were going outside, anyway. She followed him in stockinged feet.

Ed lead the way to the elevator, pushed the button, and was happy to see that it was waiting for them. He jabbed his floor number and leaned against the wall. Thirty seconds later the two of them were at his door. "I'm pretty sure I haven't lost it," he said, letting her in.

"I hope not. Now you've got me curious. It's not DVD, is it? I don't have one of those," Cha-Cha added. It was sort of a pain for her, but she couldn't afford it yet. Besides, you could get some good stuff for five dollars and less. Most of her favorites were from the bargain bin.

"It's VHS, don't worry. DVD's weren't popular yet when it came out." Hard to remember days before DVD's, he mused. The price was often ridiculous, but sometimes the special features were worth it.

He spotted it on the shelf. His...alphabetically arranged shelf. He was one of those people. "Found it."

"That was fast," Cha-Cha commented. Yeah. He'd seen her organization methods earlier on...or lack thereof. Basically, things ended up on the nearest flat surface to her at the moment. It drove her crazy, yet she never did anything about it. At least at her old place Ivana and Grace combined were neater than she could ever be.

"Detectives, what can ya do?" He rolled his eyes at the too well kept home. "Trained to be by the book in everything, it tends to rub off on my apartment too."

"It's better than spending an hour looking for a pair of shoes," Cha-Cha pointed out with an innocent look. It hadn't been an exact hour. More like an hour and a half. The real kicker was when she found them, in plain view, below the coat rack. After she'd torn apart her entire closet.

Ed looked at her curiously. It couldn't have been a full hour...right? He snatched the VHS from the shelf and made for the door. He paused and looked around for a second. "Can you think of anything else while we're here?"

"Such as?" she paused, thinking about it. "I don't think so. Just the movie, right? I mean, I've got other stuff...I'm not hungry or anything. Then again, give it an hour," Cha-Cha remembered.

"No idea, but..." Ed scanned his apartment. Nothing stood out. "I just know the second we get back to your place I'll think of something," he sighed. It always happens.

"Then I guess we can come back up, if you do," Cha-Cha shrugged, giving it one last thought. It wasn't like it was all that far to go. "I can't think of anything. Or do you think it would be easier to stay up here?" she asked with a shrug, if he was so sure he was going to forget something.

"We can go back down," he said. For a moment he'd eyed the cabinet he kept his wine in. She was over 21, right? Yeah. Okay. But 'You've Got Mail' wasn't really a movie that called for that. It was a date movie, sure, but best enjoyed completely focused.

"Okay then," Cha-Cha shrugged, it didn't matter to much to her. She headed out the door, pressing the down button and waiting for him. He'd beaten her to it last time, not again.

Back in her apartment, Ed made for the VCR. He meant to set it up, but was defeated. He hadn't watched a VHS in years. Pop it in, check. TV and VCR on, check. Did you still need channel three, or would hitting input work?

Cha-Cha watched, amused, as Ed attempted to work the VHS. She supposed such ancient technology would be old news to him. But there he was, just as confused as she'd probably be with a DVD player. Or...really anything that was more complicated than a VHS or a hair dryer. "Need help?" she asked from the couch, one foot resting against the coffee table as she bit in a laugh.

Ed turned around sheepishly. Well didn't she look smug. "Maybe. It's been a while." How embarrassing, he thought, but had to grin. He had tried to remember how to set the TV, but didn't want to mess with it too much. How simple his DVD player seemed now. Hit input and it magically appeared, no channel surfing required, and no thought process either.

"I can tell," Cha-Cha let the giggle out, lugging herself off the couch. She could do it easily now. Turn on both systems, flip to channel three, rewind the tape. How could it get easier? "You're out of practice," she assured him, sighing as she waited for the tape to reach the beginning. "I probably wouldn't know a DVD if it hit me in the face, no worries."

"I prefer DVDS. No rewinding, no bothering the TV..." Simplicity at its finest. He stared at the VCR. "No rewinding," he muttered absently. Two minutes of your life wasted, tapping your foot and gazing blankly. Alright he was exaggerating, but who wouldn't when your so close to sitting comfy cozy next to Cha-Cha?

"I know, it's a pain," Cha-Cha sighed, and moved to sit on the couch. That was what the remote control was made for, anyway. To feed the lazy soul. She patted the spot next to her for him, the video finally coming to a stop. "But it's not so bad. Only takes a minute. DVDs look complicated! I'd never tell them apart from CDs."

Ed sat down beside her. "At least a DVD player will play a CD, so it wouldn't ruin it," he offered. "Do you want to fast forward through the trailers or watch them? Could be fun to see how old this movie actually is."

"It can? Really?" Cha-Cha asked. So basically, her old CD player that didn't work, and her VHS which was dinosaur-aged, could both get traded in for one thing? That was initiative. But the problem was, she was pretty sure DVD Players couldn't play VHS. Then what would she do with all her tapes? "I always watch the trailers. That way I know what to rent next," she replied with a smile. She inched closer to him, just a bit, trying to be subtle about it.

Ed enjoyed watching trailers on old tapes. He had a habit of remembering where he was the first time he saw the ad or who he'd been with watching the movie. He recalled watching You've Got Mail with his mother years ago. Though he'd told his mother he thought the movie had been alright, he'd secretly fallen in love with the characters. How fitting that he'd accidentally ended up living out the story.

"How old is this one, anyway?" Cha-Cha asked as the video came on. It was a bit staticy, but most of her videos were too. She picked up the box, going over the summary on the back.

"About ten years." The weird line pattern VHS tapes love to do flickered on the screen for a moment. Ed stared them down, daring them to just try and stay on the entire movie. They faded away, and though it wasn't DVD quality, he couldn't complain too much. He leaned into read the back with her. "'98. Best movie of the year, in my opinion. Probably because I can't remember anything else from then."

"Ten years? No wonder I can't remember it. I was fifteen," Cha-Cha paused. "I mean thirteen! I mean twelve," she added quickly, mentally palming her face. It wasn't easy, getting old. Not that twenty-five was old, but it was for her. It was as old as she'd ever been.

"Aha!" Secret's out. Ed had to fight to prevent himself from laughing too hard as she tripped over her words. So, a thirteen year age difference? Could be worse, he thought, clenching his jaw, still trying to not laugh. He was relieved he never had to actually ask how old she was, asking a woman that is dangerous.

"Oh, shush!" Cha-Cha put her finger to her lips, though she smiling through it. So he knew. She guessed he had a right to know how many years were between them; to know she was all legal and all. She was a little more legal than she'd like to be, though, she thought with a grimace. "This doesn't leave these walls, yes? Especially not to any Miss Flawless judge or affiliate," she added as an afterthought.

"No one would believe me if I tried," he laughed. She could pull off twenty one, in his opinion. "Considering I can't identify anyone relating to the Miss Flawless contest, I swear I won't say a word to anyone." He said this in his most professional tone. Teasing her, definitely, but he was a professional through and through. His friends would probably still consider twenty five reason enough to call him a cradle robber, despite the fact that as one gets older, what's a few years difference?

"Smart man," Cha-Cha laughed. Well, he was still a lot older, anyway. She wasn't sure she could ever date someone younger than her. It would make her feel weird, and a ton older than she already felt. Twenty five wasn't ancient, but she always thought she was younger. Her brain was still twenty at the most. And the fact that thirty was only five short years away...she didn't even go there. That thought didn't even make sense to her, and she definitely didn't want to spend time trying to figure it out. It was best left forgotten. "Least I'm not thirty yet," she added, both to him and to herself.

"And what is wrong with being thirty?" he asked, narrowing his eyes and pretending to be insulted. "I happen to be two years shy of forty, so I don't wanna hear any complaining about being twenty five," he chuckled.

"Yeah but--that's different!" Cha-Cha protested. "Unless you're planning on winning Miss Flawless this year, I don't wanna hear complaining about me complaining about being twenty five," she paused, making sure that made sense. "You're only a couple years short of being a 'man of a certain age', you know? A 'gentleman'? And at that point it don't really matter anymore, that's like instant respect right there. You've got it good! But like I said, girls in this thing get younger and younger every year," she sighed deeply. "Plus, do you know what a pain wrinkles would be?"

Ed rolled his eyes. She had an amazing talent of finding a way out of anything. So he'd be a gentleman? He supposed that sounded better than plain forty year old. "Alright, you're off the hook this time." Ed pondered her question. "I don't believe there's a wrinkle in the world brave enough to even try to show up on you." He could only imagine the amount of beauty products it would endure.

"One can only hope. Anyway, I don't even think about this stuff. It's not even real to me," Cha-Cha shrugged it off, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation topic. "I didn't catch that preview at all. Does it matter?" she asked. Sometimes the previews could be very important! "Do we have to rewind?"

"Nah, not vital," he said, forgetting that the TV had even been on. Apparently several had gone by without him noticing, and the FBI Warning was on, soon followed by the filmmakers logo. "Are you reminded of the Animaniacs when you see the Warner Brothers symbol?" His niece had made him watch those cartoons for years.

"Animaniacs?" Cha-Cha paused, trying to remember that one. "Oh! With the...black...rabbit things? Living in the Warner Brothers logo? I sort of do," she nodded her head. She was a little...old for them though. Just a little. "You watched them? Weren't they like...nineties?"

"My niece made me watch them for years," he said in his defense. Although he had to admit, he had found them pretty amusing at times. He'd forgotten that for this movie the logo was the beginning of the opening credits, which were actually worth watching. And somewhat important, if he remembered correctly. "This is it, here," he said, nodding toward the screen.

Cha-Cha nodded her head, sitting back and watching. She was settled a little close, she hadn't noticed but she didn't mind. She had a habit of sitting too close; it could be a good habit or a bad one, depending. But if he wasn't protesting, why would she change it?

Protesting was the last thing on this detectives mind. He'd noticed her getting slowly closer as she talked before he thought even she had. He was already looking forward to the mushy cling-to-your-fellow-movie-goer moments. There was not a female in the world who could watch this movie without ending up with a need to hug someone, and who was Ed to refuse to lend a helping hand?

"Tom Hanks?" Cha-Cha spoke up as the names flashed across the screen. Where did she know him from... "Isn't he Forrest Gump?" she asked with a laugh. That was another one of her favorites, though she didn't think she'd seen anything else with him.

"Yep, and...Sleepless in Seattle." Not that he had every Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan love story or anything. After the first few scenes came and went, Ed figured that if she'd allow him to kiss her, she'd allow an arm around her. That, and she was so close already it didn't seem there was anything else to do. It was this, or risk her using him as a pillow. As welcome idea that was, he had to remember that would lead to his arm falling asleep. So an arm around her seemed the best alternative. Yes, he rationalized it. So sue him. Just in case, though, he jokingly added in reference to the scenes yet to come, "You'll thank me later."

"Mm, I'm thanking you now. You're warm," she mumbled with a smile, leaning up to kiss his cheek again. Could she help herself? Well, probably, but...it just felt right. You just needed someone to cuddle up to during romantic movies, it would seem Ed was going to be that person. Whether he really liked it or not. Somehow, though, she got the feeling he did.

Ed gave her a soft squeeze and tried to focus on the movie. Normally nothing short of a natural disaster could distract him from Tom Hanks' humor, but he often ended up thinking about the cute hispanic he now had snuggled against him. There was still enough movie addict in him to anticipate his favorite line. "Good thing it wasn't the fish," he accidentally mumbled aloud, very early.

Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow, but got it once Tom Hanks mimicked the line onscreen. "How many times have you seen this again?" she asked, fighting in a laugh. She couldn't make fun of him too much, though. _To Dublin? Why? Because Christy Brown was born there._ Different movie, same obsession. She caught that line every time.

"Eh, you don't want to know." Some more time passed with Ed successfully managing to keep quotations to himself. Now he was trying to subtly move his free hand to his ear. A little girl was belting out "Tomorrow" from Annie and she couldn't quite hit the notes. She was adorable for trying, but...

There were some contestants in the Miss Flawless competition that made Cha-Cha wonder whether or not they'd even heard the song they were attempting to warble out. She was instantly glad, though, that they at least had matured voices. There were a lot of reasons Cha-Cha didn't like kids, this was one of them. "Wow," was all she could say, trying not to laugh.

"It's almost growing on me," he said as they watched the girls' family clap. "I mean, go her for trying. It could have been worse." The parts she didn't have to hold long were pretty good. The last "waaaaaaay!" needed work.

"She's probably better than most kids her age, at least," Cha-Cha pointed out. Which wasn't saying much but hey, it was something. Suddenly, a terrible thought struck her. Was she that awful when she was younger? Cha-Cha opted not to think about that one too much.

Finally, Tom Hanks has figured it out. Now was the time for audience members to gasp, panic, and eagerly await to see if Meg Ryan realizes it is him as well. And of course, what kind of friend would Ed be if he didn't tighten his hold on her, in the interest of ceasing the panic.

The movie had Cha-Cha's faithful attention, so much so she barely noticed the tighter grip he had on her. Probably because she was gripping him just as tight. If Kathleen didn't figure it our by the end of the movie...well, she would just slap that girl silly. If she were a real person and all. Cha-Cha hated this part of movies, where it seemed like the leads would never realize their true feelings in time. It got her every time.

He'd seen this movie enough times to know how the part went, but it isn't as fun if you don't get into and pretend to wonder what will happen. Therefore, the clinging went on. He was grateful to know a comic relief moment was approaching. Curious for her reaction, Ed watched Cha-Cha's face as the scene ended leaving Kathleen still in the dark.

"You bitch!" Cha-Cha blurted out before she could stop herself. Scratching her nose to hide her blushing cheeks, she back-tracked. "Er, nice lady. Nice, but _clueless_ lady. Ugh," she sighed, shaking her head. Cha-Cha _really_ hated this part of movies.

Ed's eyes bulged. He wasn't expecting that reaction. He chuckled. "Well if your mortal enemy walked into the coffee shop when you were waiting for the stranger you're practically in love with, you wouldn't assume that was them, would you?"

"Well I might!" Cha-Cha replied. If she were that desperate to meet the man she loved, she might suspect anybody. "You have no idea the luck I have in coffee shops these days," she added with a slight nudge. That much he couldn't deny. Not that he was her mortal enemy, and not that she was practically in love with him. But stranger things had happened.

Ed could definitely see why Kathleen hadn't realized that Joe Fox was the man behind the screen name NY152. It would naturally be the last thing she'd think of. Hating one with every fiber of her being, and loving the other with everything she had.

Ed smiled. "Oh really, did you meet someone there recently?" he asked innocently.

"Why yes, I did as a matter of fact," Cha-Cha grinned lightly. "So, with my luck it would only figure, the man I love turns out to be the man I hate," she teased, fighting in a laugh. More like the other way around. But with the movie on, if it got anymore mushy she'd have an overdose.

Ed grinned and tugged her a little closer. The more enjoyable, humorous parts were finally on. Kathleen and Joe Fox bumping into each other everywhere, or just missing each other. The part he found similar to himself. Always just missing Cha-Cha in the building. Joe charming his way onto Kathleen's good side was a difficult task, but he was doing it.

Ed always loved when she pointed out they'd been bumping into each a lot lately, and Joe replied with 'Hey, you wanna bump into me on, say, Saturday around lunchtime?'

Cha-Cha's smile, and her faith in the movie had been renewed and she was watching attentively once again. At Joe's question, she squealed lightly and hugged him a bit closer. It was just one of those moments. "If she says yes, I'll maybe forgive her for earlier. Maybe," she decided.

_'Mhmm,'_ Kathleen nodded. Saturday came, and after lunch Joe walked her home, and the tone grew a tad bit serious, but touching. Kathleen, still not knowing her internet love had been right in front of her the whole time, told Joe she was meeting the man in Riverside Park that afternoon. The two had been at war the entire movie until Joe figured out Kathleen was ShopGirl, and he asked her why she could love someone she never met when he stood her up, and not forgive him for one little thing. You know, just putting her out of business. Only the audience and Joe knew she hadn't been stood up, that he'd been at the coffee place but she hadn't recognized him.

Kathleen got choked up and went insider her apartment to get ready to meet her stranger, and Joe walked slowly toward home. All those watching were either teary or dry eyed and heartless. Just kidding. But it was the moment where you silently scream 'It's him! It's him!' and grab your partner, too tense to wait the ten seconds between now and Riverside Park.

"What do you think she'll do? When she realizes NY152 is Joe?" Ed whispered.

Cha-Cha wasn't crying just yet, but the emotion of the film was getting to her. She couldn't help it. All that time, they were so near but so far, and it was driving her crazy. "Well," she said softly, and loosened her grip on Ed a bit when she realized how tight it was. "If they're like us, like you said, then you'd better hope I like the ending. Or I'll think you're trying to tell me something," she smirked lightly.

He laughed. She had a point. If they didn't end up together, that would be a weird plot to compare themselves to on Ed's part, wouldn't it? But any sensible person could see the end coming, and it was definitely in their favor.

The last five minutes played on and Ed couldn't help smiling. Kathleen stood in the park surrounded by flowers, waiting. The only clue she had to go on was that NY152 had a dog named Brinkley. A voice floated over from around the corner shouting, _'Brinkley!'_ and out came an adorable dog. _'Brinkley!_' A second later Joe rounded the corner. Kathleen's eyes bulged, she shook her head, half smiling half biting her lip, and stomped the ground.

Joe neared her and pulled out a Kleenex, wiping at her wet eyes. _'Don't cry,' _he cooed, nervous it wasn't going over well, melting the hearts of millions of viewers. _'ShopGirl. Don't cry._' Ed let out a content sigh as Kathleen smiled through tears and spoke the movie's ending words.

_'I wanted it to be you,'_ she whispered. _'I wanted it to be you so badly.'_

Cha-Cha had tried to be gentle before, but she'd forgotten all about those attempts. Her arms were around Ed as she watched the movie with baited breath. "Kiss her! Kiss her!" she said aloud softly, and just about had it when Joe finally did. She beamed at Ed, both happy and relieved at the movie's ending. She had to admit, it had faked her out a bit a few times during the course. Every so often she found herself wondering whether they'd make it in the running time. But the ending both surprised her and delighted her, and she held him a bit closer as it ended.

"Did you like it?" Ed asked, though it was obvious she was happy with at least the ending. He noticed that the credits were almost over and they hadn't moved yet. Not complaining of course. As an afterthought, he added, "The ending song is also pretty fitting. You know, the whole movie us comparison. At least from my point of view anyway."

_"Funny how I feel, more myself with you, than anybody else that I ever knew. I hear it your voice, I see it in your face, you've become the memory I can't erase. You could have been anyone at all, a stranger falling out of the blue...I'm so glad it was you."_

"I have to say I did," Cha-Cha replied brightly. Finally, reluctantly, she let go of him, smiling softly. "I saw what you meant, though. About it, and us. I mean some of it, not all of it," she added. Neither of them were in the book business or anything, of course. And she was pretty sure she'd never hated him before. Not to mention she'd barely even touched a computer in her lifetime. "But I did see it." Hopefully in the ending too, she added to herself.

She leaned back a bit but didn't move yet. She wouldn't, not unless he initiated it. It felt to nice. Instead she just listened to the song playing, finding herself smiling at the lyrics.

"It made more of a connection when I thought about it before," he had to admit. "I'd forgotten how much they argued. I always jump to the happy ending."

"Well it was a nice ending," Cha-Cha shrugged, smiling lightly. They did fight a lot, but then again, Joe put her out of business! What did they expect? "Unless you put on some heels and steal my crown, I can't see us living out that part of it," she added. She had to bite her lip to stop the laughter produced by that image. Ed in a dress...was a very frightening thought.

Ed shivered. "I am in no way any competition." Not nearly slender enough to be womanly. "No need to worry about me." If she thought she was to old, he was definitely past the age limit.

"Didn't think so," Cha-Cha admitted, shaking her head with a laugh. Pretty man did not always translate into pretty woman. In fact, it rarely did, which was only one reason why she didn't walk around in a suit and tie too often. Not to mention there was not a suit in the world that could house her style.

Ed did not even vaguely wonder what he would look like in a dress. Not interested. Pants are friends. Dresses, his enemy. But his mind did crave the visual of Cha-Cha in a dress. He'd seen her in skirts, but not a full out dress.

Then again, short skirts were very very welcome.

Cha-Cha was distracted by the sound of the tape ending, and the TV began playing what was regularly on channel three. Some infomercial, it looked older than she was. '_I feel like myself again, with a new head of hair after only two weeks_!' She laughed, leaning forward a bit to check the time. Past twelve? The night had just flown by. "What time do you have to start heading back?" she asked with a small grin, knowing full well that heading back for him meant getting on the elevator.

Without her against him his side felt cold and exposed, and Ed selfishly pulled her back. "Soon," he answered, sounding more than disappointed. He'd told himself earlier to aim for one in the morning for his exit time. He worked the following afternoon, but he could never make himself sleep in past nine, and Van Buren had not been happy the last time a bleary eyed Ed had wandered in. Although, if he drank enough coffee from ten to twelve, he ought to be able to wake himself up properly... But he also didn't want to over stay his welcome.

Cha-Cha nodded her head reluctantly, though didn't protest being pulled back to him. How soon was soon? Half an hour? Would an hour be too much to ask? She didn't want to make him stay if he didn't want to, or if he couldn't. But she wouldn't especially mind if he stayed a bit longer, either. "What time do you have to go in tomorrow?" she asked softly. If he'd said already she'd completely forgotten.

"After lunch. But it's impossible for me to sleep in." Her reaction made his coffee plan seem more attractive. Her tone gave him the impression he was welcome to stay longer.

Ed smirked lightly. "Isn't it past your bedtime, little girl?"

Cha-Cha giggled lightly, shrugging one shoulder. The things she could say to that. _Maybe, but I wouldn't want to go alone._ As true as that was... "I'm sure I can stay up a little longer. If I'm good," she replied with a grin. If he didn't have to go till noon, and he couldn't sleep in...maybe he could do a little longer? Cha-Cha hoped so, anyway.

No matter how late he went to sleep, his body would wake him up early and refuse to fall back asleep. But one more lecture from Van Buren could be avoided with the aid of caffeine, right? "Alright, half an hour then I'm out. And don't even try the old 'Five more minutes' line." He paused. "'Cause I'll probably give in and that's not fair."

"And who says I want you around for another five minutes?" Cha-Cha teased, though it was clear to anyone with eyes that she did. Already she was making herself more comfortable against him, happy that she got her way. Luckily her way seemed to be his way, too. "Glad I can change your mind so easily. I'll have to remember that for next time," she laughed softly.

"Hmm, hold on a..." he trailed off as she shifted toward the chairs arm. He could prop himself up better. "There we go." She could lean against him properly and he wouldn't fall over. Although he noticed she would probably have to try to knock him over since she was so light, he figured it was probably more along the lines of preventing himself from simply tumbling over intentionally.

"How stupid of me to give that away," he laughed.

"Better," Cha-Cha agreed, leaning against him. She was getting a little drowsy, she had to admit. But he was warm and comfortable, making it almost a welcome drowsy. "I guess I'll spare you though. This time," she decided reluctantly, a small smile on her lips.

"You're too kind." Ed rested his head on the back of the couch, and without really noticing his eyes slowly shut. Warm and comfortable indeed. So much so that if one of them didn't think up a conversation topic in the next ten seconds he was half convinced he'd fall asleep right there. Boredom had nothing to do with it of course. "What are you doing Monday?" he asked.

"Whatever I do on Monday," Cha-Cha admitted with a shrug. She rarely made plans too far in advance. Mainly because she always forgot. Sticky notes were her friends when she had them. "No real plans at the moment. You?"

"Nothing," he answered. "I actually have a day completely open, believe it or not." He yawned silently. "Any chance I can get scheduled into your day?"

"I think I can pencil you in between my two o clock nothing and my five o clock nothing," Cha-Cha said thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "In other words I'm all yours, darling. Your place or mine?" she grinned at his yawn, and was afraid to look at the time.

"Mmm-mine," he hummed through another yawn. And he hadn't even been tired through the movie at all. "'Spose I can play host next time." In the lazy way drowsiness brings, he asked "Food?" without really clarifying he was asking if she'd want to go out or eat in again.

"Food?" Cha-Cha frowned lightly, lifting her head up to glance at him. "You're hungry? I guess Chinese does leave you empty after an hour or two," she shrugged, putting her head back down and curling in closer to him. If he wanted something, she could get it for him, but otherwise she wasn't getting up. Not until she absolutely had to.

"For Monday," he explained. Mmm...comfy...cozy...content. And very close to falling asleep right there. "Do you-" yawn "-know the time?" He couldn't tell if one minute had gone by, or ten.

"Mmm...play it by ear?" Cha-Cha shrugged, not too concerned with it at the moment. She didn't want to think about food right at the moment. With a sigh, she leaned forward again to check the time. 12:55? How on earth did it get so late? "About quarter to," she lied with a yawn.

He believed her, as anyone in such a drowsy state would. He meant to answer. He thought he did, but nothing came out. Instead his breathing evened out and his mind convinced him it was his own couch he was on.

Cha-Cha sighed lightly, relieved he didn't check the time himself. Then again, she wasn't sure he was doing much of anything at the moment. Aside from breathing. Hopefully. "You awake?" she asked with a small smile, closing her eyes slowly.

Silent again. He was in that awkward I'm-awake-but-I'm-not state. He could think, sort of, but was too useless for much else. Where you can hear but fail to respond right away.

"No," he managed to slur.

Cha-Cha laughed softly, a deep sigh following it. If she ever wanted to get the detective off her couch, it would unfortunately have to be soon. Not that she wanted him off her couch per se, but she had a feeling he wouldn't appreciate waking up with a crick in his neck and a drag queen on his side. Not when he had to get up and go in the morning. The thought of him getting up and leaving was a very unwelcome one, though. He did make a good pillow. But that would be selfish, and that would be wrong.

She didn't say a word.

And...Ed was out. Unaware Cha-Cha failed to wake him up, and unable to care. He simply hugged his body pillow closer and breathed.

Cha-Cha sighed deeply, allowing herself to be held closer to him. Well...if he was already asleep, it would be really mean to wake him, wouldn't it? She was only doing what any decent person would do. Or any comfortable person. She closed her eyes again, letting a hand rest on his chest gently.

* * *

Ed awoke feeling a bit stiffer than normal. Strange, his bed had hardly given him any problems before. Wait, he wasn't laying down. Not exactly. He was in one of those strange couch positions people often find impossible to duplicate. And something else wasn't normal. There was a unfamiliar weight pressing against him. Warm and somewhat moving...

Ed opened his eyes to see that he was most definitely not in his apartment. "Um."

Cha-Cha shifted slightly, still very much asleep. She was a morning person, but didn't have any internal clock. Usually she was up by around ten or so. But before then, if nothing was getting her up, she wasn't going to. Even if she was practically sideways on the couch.

Ed's arm beneath Cha-Cha was asleep and tingling. Ignoring that for the moment, he glanced around for a clock. There's always one near the TV, right? He searched until he found one, and learned it was almost nine. _I knew it_, he though. _No matter what, I'm up by nine._ Back to the arm predicament, he tried to swivel out from under her without disturbing her. He planned to leave a note on-what? a napkin?-and go upstairs.

Almost free, he rejoiced too soon. Three out of four limbs were free when a misplaced step sent him tumbling to the floor.

Cha-Cha's eyes snapped open at the sound of a large crash. She was up, she was definitely up. Her first instinct was robber. It was New York City, after all.

Those thoughts were squashed once she caught sight of the detective on her floor. It had completely escaped her that he'd even spent the night, though clearly he was ready to get away. Raising an eyebrow, she shifted a bit to sit more properly on the couch. Ow. She forgot how uncomfortable it could get, even with a person pillow.

"Morning," she said finally, wiping a bit of sleep out of the corner of her eye.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to wake you up." He hurt...everywhere. From either the long night on the couch or the fall, he couldn't tell. He didn't know what to say, which was part of the reason a silent exit had been attempted. "I guess I didn't leave at one," he noted.

"Guess not," Cha-Cha replied softly. She hadn't even brushed her teeth the night before, gross. It had really been the last thing on her mind, she supposed. It wasn't like she'd expected to spend the night on the couch. While it had been worth it at the time, the awkward was deafening the morning after.

"You okay down there?" she asked with a small smile, and slowly moved into a stand. She did not get a good rest if she wasn't in a bed, and she definitely paid for it in the morning.

"Yeah, I'm good." Ed stood too, stretching and groaning slightly as he did so. Satisfied he got all the kinks out he could, he smiled sleepily at her. "Good morning," he said, very late considering hers was over two minutes ago now. She looked almost nervous. Awkward at least. He wondered if she thought he was annoyed at waking up here. It was a surprise, but that also meant he'd had her in his arms for hours, and who could complain about that? Even if he wasn't exactly awake to enjoy it.

"Morning," she repeated quietly, not moving quite yet. She was a morning person, yes, but it still took her a minute. And a little caffeine. And some dental floss. After all that she was good to go, but before that she was still a bit of a slow mover. "Well...hey. You only stayed...ten hours longer than you meant to," she paused, before correcting herself, "nine." A slow mover, indeed.

Ed laughed and began hunting for his shoes. _What'dya know, second date and we're already sleeping together,_ he joked. To himself. A tad bit unsure if she felt like kidding around at the moment. Shoes, coat...that was it, right? Oh, the movie. He popped it out and slid it into it's case.

Now to beat a hasty retreat. He needed a shower and clean clothes. Folding his jacket over his arm, he approached Cha-Cha. "I had a great evening _and_ morning," Ed laughed. He kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you Monday, unless I run into you downstairs."

"Bye," Cha-Cha responded softly, feeling better as he kissed her. For obvious reasons. He didn't seem annoyed or anything, so was there much reason to be awkward? She decided not, smiling lightly at him as he left. He still had to go, she understood. Now all she had to decide was whether to go back to sleep, or stay up.

Who was she kidding? If she was up, she was up. Rubbing the back of her neck gently, she padded into the bathroom to wash up.

* * *

_author note: Cha-Cha was played by **Operatic**. Much love to her! And I have to admit I gave up trying to find something other than "he said" "he laughed" "he smiled" "he grinned" ...I mean, there are only so many words out there that fit TT "Ed guffawed" just doesn't seem right. Although I think I did use that once? ummm...anyway, sorry I repeat those so often._

_Hope you liked it! That was the last of our finished ones, youll have to wait for us to complete the thread we're on to post it._


	4. Monday, Monday Part 1

Anything about Ed is mine, anything involving Cha-Cha is **Operatic**. **I got permission from Operatic to post this.**

* * *

Monday, Monday 

Part One

Ed was home, looking over his apartment one last time. It was unusually neat, but still lived in and welcoming. He had a habit of keeping his home neat no matter where he was living, but his desk at work was another story. But considering the hours he put in, the station was really where he lived, and his apartment only a place to sleep. Most nights, anyway, he chuckled.

He expected Cha-Cha anytime now, and sat in an armchair with a year old magazine to entertain himself with.

Cha-Cha opted for the stairs this time; it was good exercise. It only occurred to her afterwords that it might not've been the smartest idea. Not in heels and a short skirt, anyway. Luckily though no one else was around, and she made it to Ed's level without any broken ankles or peekaboos.

She knocked on the door, wiggling her foot around on one heel as she waited

The magazine was forgotten on the coffee table, and Ed was at the door in seconds. "Hi," he beamed. Doing the best he could to keep his eyes level with hers and not drifting down to her skirt, he opened the door fully and stepped aside to let her in. Oh, she spoiled him, she really did.

"Hi, baby," Cha-Cha returned the smile, moving in to his apartment. It was all she could do not to burst into laughter as she followed his eyes. It was her style to wear short...everything really, skirts, tops, etcetera. But she couldn't lie and say she hadn't't given him a little thought.

Ed shut the door and eagerly followed her. Thankful for the few seconds he had to look at her without her noticing. Well, he told himself she didn't notice anyway...never know. Women sometimes do have eyes in the back of their heads.

Cha-Cha smiled, spinning around quickly as she could in heels. It wasn't easy to really turn on one; not unless you wanted crutches for a few weeks. She wasn't sure if he was staring or not; but then again, who wouldn't stare? "How are you?" she settled with, her eyes traveling around his place. Her apartment was that neat, once. In her dreams.

Ed felt caught. "Great," he said, convinced he was drooling. They hadn't't made much plans for the day. So far it involved meeting at his place. Well, that was done. "So, are we staying in again, or do you want to go out and do something?"

Cha-Cha hadn't't given it too much thought; somehow she'd expected the day to just flow like Saturday night had. Then again, Saturday night ended up flowing just a bit too much. "I've got nowhere in mind," she admitted. "Do you?"

"I haven't," he said. Good, keep her here, all to himself. "Have you eaten lunch yet?" It was near one, but you never know. He'd only had a light snack, but he'd live if she had a full meal already.

"Nope, not yet," Cha-Cha replied. She'd held off, unsure of whether they'd be eating or not. Though she was still semi-full from her bowl of cereal that morning, she didn't often turn down food, either. If it weren't for dancing she'd be big as a house. Will-power wasn't one of Cha-Cha's biggest strengths.

It wouldn't be worth the driving distance for a quick bite to eat, and he wasn't hungry enough for a full out dining experience anyway. Instead, he asked if she'd like him to make something, have something delivered...

"You can cook?" Cha-Cha asked. She didn't know anybody that could cook. Her abilities got as far as the microwave, and even that she managed to burn pretty often. She had a stove in her apartment...it had a clock on it. Other than that she was clueless. "I'm not gonna pass out on you or anything...but if you're hungry I won't object," she added with a grin.

Ed grinned in return. "Surprise number two," he announced, certain this was better than last time. He hadn't't mentioned it, but he had been prepared to order in anything but Chinese.

Now, he was no fantastic chef, but he could do a few things. "I'd like to ask what you're in the mood for, but I think the choices are pretty limited. Let me hunt around for a minute." He began searching through the kitchen to see what could be on the menu.

"Ed, I live off of limited choices. Obviously you don't know what my diet is like," Cha-Cha grinned, following him into the kitchen. Even when she was still with Ivana and Grace, their meals generally consisted of what was in arm's reach. Even with new groceries in the house, it wasn't like they could afford sushi every night (even if they could, chopsticks again were something Cha-Cha only wanted to be faced with once every little while).

Ed rifled through the fridge. "Hamburger, sandwich stuff...not entirely sure what that's supposed to be...eggs are a morning thing," he shoved them aside unimpressed. He stood and counted on his fingers what he knew he had around. "Frozen dinners, some noodle pasta type thing..."

"Frozen dinners doesn't count as cooking! That's like my style of cooking," Cha-Cha teased, before shrugging. She wasn't really a picky eater, and all of that sounded okay. Well, the things he could actually identify, anyway. "Well, what's the opposite of Chinese food?" she asked. Variety was always good.

"Pizza?" he asked. Opposite of Chinese...American. What's American? "Hamburgers?" Ed leaned against the counter. "I should have thought ahead and bought some stuff," he sighed. But it was lunch after all. Why not save a perfectly marvelous homemade meal for a dinner?

"It's alright. I like hamburgers fine," Cha-Cha agreed. It didn't matter so much what they ate, not to her. She'd eat pretty much anything. "Can you do that without a barbecue though?" she asked, honestly unsure. It seemed like such a July 4th sort of thing, rather than February 5th.

"It's not as impressive without one, but it can be done," he grinned. On the stove burgers don't have the same taste as grilled on a barbecue, but it was winter. No time to be picky. Besides, its much faster to start a stove top than a grill.

"I trust you," Cha-Cha replied with a laugh. She didn't know the first thing about her stove. Except that she'd likely burn the apartment down if she tried to use it. It really was a hazard, many of her fabrics were flammable. Not to mention the fact that fire generally caused pain. "So..." she paused. "How was work? I mean, after our sleepover," she smiled lightly, her forehead wrinkling lightly.

Double homicide. Still investigating. "Uneventful," he lied. Really, she didn't want to know. "Our 'sleepover' was much more fun. Lennie and I were just swamped with paperwork." That was true.

"Well, I'd hope it was! I'd be very offended if filling out forms was more fun than snuggling with me," Cha-Cha teased. Carefully she slid herself up to sit on his counter, crossing her legs as she did. Just because it was the third date didn't man he was getting any sort of free show.

But nonetheless that was just as rewarding. Crossing her legs made the skirt slide a bit higher up. Ed dove into the fridge to retrieve the meat, and probably to cool off as well. "What did you do after I left?" he asked.

"Not too much at first. I can never get back to sleep but I can't move too fast either," Cha-Cha admitted with a laugh. She was blissfully unaware of any affect she might be having on him, thinking she was safe with crossed legs. No one had ever told Cha-Cha any differently. "After that though, after I got some Fruit Loops in me and all, I talked to Rusty," she stopped there, not elaborating just yet.

Rusty was the only one she trusted to tell about Ed yet, as Rusty was probably the only one who could keep a tiny secret. Not that it would be a huge surprise that Cha-Cha was seeing someone, but the fact the had to be sneaks about it was something new. To be honest she hadn't't expected it to go over well, but she'd hoped Rusty would at least be able to have a clearer head about it than Ivana or Grace could.

"I think she wants to meet you," she added after a moment. That much was true. Rusty just wasn't sure yet, whether Ed was worth it. She'd have no real way of knowing. Which, Cha-Cha supposed, gave her a reason to be wary, like she was. But she had to keep an open mind about him, too...

"I'd like to meet her too," Ed said, voice muffled from his current position. As in, head hidden in the pantry looking for buns. "A friend of yours is a friend of mine, like they say." Found them! With everything he needed, he began making lunch. He focused on keeping his eyes either locked with hers, or on the stove.

Cha-Cha nodded her head, becoming quiet for the moment. Really, what wasn't to like about Ed? He was funny, sweet, good looking (he could stick his head in the pantry any time he liked and Cha-Cha would have no complaints). Really, the whole sneaking around bit was just a minor detail. They hadn't't even done much of it yet. Besides, he couldn't help the job he was in, the people he worked with.

Cha-Cha knew she was only making excuses because she liked him so much. But it was because she liked him she was able to agree to the terms. She wanted Rusty and Ivana and Grace to like him too--maybe not as much as she did (not acting on it, anyway!) but she wanted them to see he was worth it. Because he was.

"Yeah," she agreed finally, her foot swinging from side to side as she thought. "Yeah, probably."

"Probably?" he asked with a grin. "I hope at least a few positive things were said about me." Ha ha. While he'd had only great things about Cha-Cha to tell his friends, he could only imagine the girl talk that was inspired about the downside of dating him.

"I don't lie to my friends, Edward Green," Cha-Cha couldn't help but tease. There was no reason to bring the whole room down. Besides, it wasn't like Rusty forbade her to see him (if she actually could). She'd just been a little unsure. That was all. As soon as they met Rusty would see how wonderful he was and worries would be set aside. That was what would happen. It had to. "What type of girl do you take me for?" she added, mocking offence with a laugh.

"The type who _would_ lie to make me sound better?" he asked hopefully. Grinning, he added, "Just kidding." Ed poked at one of the burgers to see how pink it was inside.

"Hmm. Well what if I said I didn't have to?" Cha-Cha responded honestly. There really wasn't much to say about Ed that wasn't true and wasn't favorable. Then again, it had only been two full dates so far. But he didn't have any weird habits (that's she'd learned of yet), he wasn't married, and all the regulars, too. She'd lucked out.

Ed laughed. "Then you really would be lying!" While all in good fun, he couldn't help but think of his uncanny ability to be a mood killer. Both evenings so far had at least one awkward moment thanks to him. At least this afternoon he hadn't't done anything yet.

"Now you call me a liar!" Cha-Cha exclaimed, trying hard to appear offended and enraged. It wasn't easy when your cheeks were pink from giggling and you just couldn't keep a straight face. Cha-Cha could lie, but she was never much of an actress. Strange combination, she knew. "That's it," she slid down from the counter, pulling her skirt more squarely over her thighs. "Don't make me walk out that door, detective. Or I will be forced to," she paused. "Keep saying good things about you. Hah!" she wasn't sure that made much sense. But she wasn't exactly going for seriousness.

Ed abandoned the stove. "Hey, hey, I don't want that," he smiled, wrapping his arms around her. He was too interested in getting her and her skirt back on the counter to be his normal cautious self. Now she was effectively trapped and doomed to stay with him forever. Alright, until he let her go.

Cha-Cha knew what she wanted and she knew how to get it, it would seem. She gladly let herself be held by him, unable to hide the smile that was coming through. "I don't lie about my boyfriends," she told him. It was the first time she'd used that word; boyfriend. But that was how she'd describe him at the moment. They'd been on three dates, kissed, slept together...well, not really _slept together_ but hey, she wouldn't be lying to say it. "I lie to them," she finished, her smile growing mischievous, the stove forgotten for the moment.

"Why you-" he laughed and kissed her, unable and uninterested in finishing the thought. He had perked up at the word boyfriend, only to have his jaw drop by the end of the sentence.

Cha-Cha returned the kiss whole heartedly, letting her arms snake up to wrap around his neck. She knew how to get what she wanted. And she couldn't think of anything she wanted more than that. Well, she couldn't really think of anything, period, but the task at hand. She closed her eyes, remaining close to him even after the kiss was finished.

"Why do I have the feeling that was planned?" he asked with a smile in his voice. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the stove. One side of the burgers was very very well done. Ed looked from the stove to the drag queen around him. Saving the food and keeping her there would be tough, but not impossible. He had skills.

Ed removed an arm from her waist to grope for the spatula. His arm was stretched to the limit, and he had to lean slightly, but he could flip the hamburgers over without bothering her. And if he'd done it right, without her noticing either.

"Are you complaining?" Cha-Cha asked with a grin. Well, that was fine. She didn't have to kiss him ever again. Somehow though she didn't think that would do either of them much good. It certainly wouldn't help any relationship.

"No," he answered quickly. "Definitely... no...complaining," Ed said as he reached for the spices he'd set on the counter. So...close... It's not that he'd choose food over her, he'd be crazy to do that. He just needed something to serve her. He had an idea. He simultaneously took a step toward the stove and pulled her closer to him, hoping that movement would cancel out the other.

Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow, holding him closer as well. Definitely no complaints, from her either. Though she wasn't one hundred percent sure what he was looking at. "You alright?" she asked softly, letting a hand move down to rub his back gently.

"I'm fine," he answered, assuming the lurch hadn't't gone unnoticed. "Just trying to prevent this from burning..." Ed said, referring to the sizzling meat. After a beat he admitted, "And I'm trying to do so while keeping you where you are. Although if you wanted to hop up on the counter again, I wouldn't stop you..." No one ever accused him of being real subtle.

Cha-Cha turned her head, and whipped it back to look at him. "You _are_ a sneak!" she decided. "Barbecuing behind my back, really," she shook her head, though she was laughing again. Carefully she slipped under his arm, and went to lean by the counter, rather than sit on it. Just for payback.

"Well I'm doing it for you, doesn't that count for anything?" he said, near pouting. They were done, and truthfully a bit past done, so he flipped them off to the nearby plates. He opened the bag of buns and took two out, put one on each plate, and handed her one. He left the toppings up to her, motioning to what he'd set out, he said "Help yourself."

"I suppose," Cha-Cha sighed heavily, as though it pained her deeply to admit it. "Thanks. I haven't had a hamburger in...it has to be over a year," she thought back as she reached for the mustard. McDonalds wasn't exactly popular with her. She'd eat anything, but she did have some conscience. Eating fast food was just asking to balloon up, too much of it anyway.

"I couldn't live without them. Though," he took a closer look at the one on his plate. "Maybe I could live without this one..." A tad burned, but he'd survive. "If it's too well done, don't force yourself to eat it. I won't be terribly insulted."

"Well, maybe if someone weren't so easily distracted," Cha-Cha pointed out with a smirk. Okay, so she provoked him a little. But she got a kiss out of it! She had her reasons. She bit into the hamburger, grimacing slightly. It was a little crunchy. Not terrible. Just charred.

"I saw that," he said quietly, taking a bite of his own and repeating the expression. Well, if she could do it he could do it. "And I wouldn't be so _easily distracted_ if _somebody_ weren't wearing such an incredibly short skirt!" Well, if she hadn't't noticed him staring before, she knew now.

Cha-Cha put her sandwich on the plate, unable to hide her impish smile. She knew he'd noticed. Then again, who wouldn't? While she hadn't't caught him full out staring, it was hard not to feel it. "Oh! Finally I have something to tell my girls. And Ed Green is a pervy old man!" she stressed the words, before covering her mouth while she laughed.

Ed took another bite, pretending to glare at her as he chewed. After a few chomps his face turned more into annoyance at the taste than mock anger. He swallowed, frowning. "I still say its your fault." He might as well have stuck his tongue out, his tone was so childish. He paused. "And I'm not old."

"My fault? I'm sorry my killer style provokes such dirty thoughts, Edward. I promise it wasn't intentional," Cha-Cha replied as innocently as she possibly could. It wasn't hard to tell that it was very, very intentional. "You've got a couple years on me, baby. Anybody over thirty five is old," she admitted. "But it's okay. I like older guys. A lot."

Ed pondered what she said a moment. "Come'ere," he said, holding out an arm. He had a sudden urge to hug her. Later, after careful consideration, he thought it may have been the way she said 'Edward'.

Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow but didn't protest at all. Her plate was left on the counter forgotten, and she moved into his arm. It was a no-brainer, really. She'd take a hug from Ed over a burnt hamburger any day.

Ed grinned. He didn't have to plot to get what he wanted. Nor waste time. "Wasn't that easier than pretending to insult each other for a while?" he asked with a laugh. "Though I suppose anything is more rewarding when you fight for it."

Cha-Cha shrugged lightly, moving into his arms a bit closer. It probably was easier. "But I don't get to see you pout this way," she pointed out with a grin. "Which means I don't get to kiss you and make it better."

"I do not _pout_," he said in denial. "_Detectives_ do not _pout_." They're intimidating. They're sharp. They do not whine to get what they want. ...Most of the time. "But if you'd rather fight so we can make up, I'm sure I can think of something to say."

"Oh, my mistake," Cha-Cha grinned lightly, letting an arm slowly wrap around him as well. Oh, he pouted. He couldn't deny it. But maybe, maybe if he was nice to her, she'd keep it quiet. If he kept her as close as he was keeping her. "The make up is always fun," she admitted, thinking it over. "But so is just this," she added, moving in closer to him.

Ed still had his burger in his free hand. He barely was able to slide it on the counter. Why was he always just far enough away for it to be a challenge? Note to self: stand closer to walls. "Do you wanna sit down?" he asked.

Cha-Cha nodded her head, grateful for his suggestion. To be honest, her feet were killing her. Heels were no easy thing to pull off; it was even harder to stand around in them for a long time. "Wait. You just want to look up my skirt again, don't you?" she realized, though she was already tugging him out of the kitchen. She'd been peeked at before, and rarely was the peeker someone like Ed.

"I...would not put it that way. I was merely appreciating your legs. There is a difference." There was enough in plain sight, he didn't have to go looking for more.

"Is there now?" Cha-Cha asked with a grin. She slid her arm from him to take his hand instead. She knew he wasn't being a total perv about it, she did know that. But that didn't mean she didn't want to tease him. It was funny, before she met him, Cha-Cha imagined all detectives to be as strict and stoic as Sherlock Homes. But she'd never pictured Sherlock checking her out before.

As Ed let himself be lead, he continued on in his defense. "There is such a complete difference between the two I can't even began to..." He couldn't even phrase it.

"Then even don't try," Cha-Cha replied with a wink, plopping down and tugging him down with him. Suddenly she was filled with a sense of deja vu. Well, as long as they both kept their eyes open, she figured it was alright. She had considered bringing her toothbrush along in her purse, but she wasn't sure how well that would go over.

The same thought had crossed Ed's mind, but considering it was the middle of the day, they'd have to be lying on that couch an awfully long time before they could repeat what happened last time. "I suppose it's hopeless," he sighed, allowing himself to be pulled around. "You'll never believe I'm telling the truth. Even though I've devoted my life to truth and all that jazz."

"Mmm, but there's no law against looking a pretty girl up," Cha-Cha told him with a laugh. And by that she basically meant, 'give it up'. Honestly, if he was, he was, she didn't mind. There were worse things he could be doing and worse people to be watching her. Besides, who could blame him? She did have fantastic legs.

"Thank goodness," he mumbled a little too relieved. "Considering there are laws for just about everything else. Did you know it's illegal for citizens in Detroit to tie their pet alligator to a fire hydrant?" Thank you Ripley's Believe it or Not. Although he figured it went for any pet and they used alligator for an extreme example. Still, it made a better story.

"Really? Dammit. One more reason not to visit Detroit," Cha-Cha shook her head with a sigh, clearly disappointed. Or at least pretending to be. The world was so weird sometimes. It never stopped amazing her. "Are you making that up?"

"Of course not," he smirked. "I read it in a Ripley's Believe it or Not a few years ago. Would they lie?" Ed laughed.

"They might," Cha-Cha giggled, shrugging her head. "I mean, do you really believe some guy stuck five hundred needles in his face? Do you? There's no way," she was sure of it. He'd bleed to death. Plus...it was gross.

"People do strange things for attention," he sighed. "Although I have a feeling that Ripley makes it seem stranger than it is. For example, I think it's illegal for any Detroiter to tie anything, like a dog, to a fire hydrant. Using alligator grabs your attention."

"I guess. But I mean, are there a lot of people with alligators in Detroit? Is it a real problem down there?" Cha-Cha asked with a small giggle. She wasn't sure what she'd do if she saw an alligator on the street. It was New York, so who knew what sort of thing was down in the sewers. As long as it never came up.

"I've never been there. But it doesn't seem like alligator country to me. If any city should be afraid, it's us. I can't tell you how many tourists ask me if it's true that New York has gators in he sewers. I wish I knew who started that rumor," he said, mock threateningly. Who had the bright idea to tell people that urban legend? That's what he'd like to know.

"Hey, I believe it. Do you know how gross it is down there?" Cha-Cha asked with wide eyes. Not that she'd know first hand, but she could imagine. She didn't like to, but she could imagine. "As long as whatever's down there stays down there. Alligator or...rats..." she shuddered lightly. Cha-Cha was not fond of rats.

Rats Ed could believe. City rats the worst. He'd never understood the big deal about them before moving here. He'd always imaged them as large mice, somewhat cute and black. It wasn't until his first week in NYC did he comprehend the horror of the hardcore city rat. Another reason he was thankful for his gun. "Luckily our building is very well kept," he said. He wouldn't walk around alphabet city at night. One could only imagine the vermin near Avenue B.

"Mmhm. I don't know what I'd do if I saw a rat here, I'd probably..." Cha-Cha just shook her head. Jump a mile. Scream so loud the entire city could hear. Break a leg trying to get home. Run into the wrong apartment in her haste. All of those answers seemed realistic. "I'd move," she decided, shuddering.

"And leave me here alone with it? I don't think so." That wouldn't be fair. He hated them just as much. "Tell you what, if one ever gets in your apartment-and it won't, so don't even think about this too much-just run up here. I'm always armed. Rats are tough, but not invincible," he smiled smugly.

Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow at his suggestion. "Are you threatening violence towards rodents? I knew I liked you," she grinned. Really, it wasn't just rats. Even hamsters, the 'cute' member of the rodent family, got her going. There was just something about them Cha-Cha couldn't take.

Ed smiled and leaned into his couch, sinking into the corner between the back and the arm, his favorite position. He liked the feeling of being surrounded. The detective tugged on her shirt, insisting she follow his lead. "It's hardly three, I don't think we'll fall asleep this time."

"Awful forward, aren't we?" Cha-Cha teased him, but gladly lay back with him. Ed really did make a wonderful pillow, she had to admit. It had been easy to fall asleep last time. Luckily though she was wide awake and able to enjoy him. "Here's hoping. I forgot my pjs," she added with a grin.

Ed chuckled. While very comfortable, he wondered how to entertain her for the day. Another movie? Leave for dinner in a few hours? He found it amusing that lying their till nightfall wasn't too difficult to imagine. "Do you want to do anything later?"

"Probably should. Just so we have no repeats," Cha-Cha smiled lightly, though her eyes were already closed. She wasn't especially tired, she was just enjoying a peaceful moment for once. They seemed few and far between being a New York City drag queen. "I'm trying to think of things..."

"We could watch a movie here," he suggested, "or go out to one. Eat real food, not the hamburgers you made me burn, or..." There had to be something. Ed noticed her eyes closing. _A few minutes_, he thought. Then he'd be shifting around to keep her alert. Three was much to early to be settling in for the night. That she shouldn't be settling in for, because she was leaving. Yeah.

Cha-Cha's eyes opened, just so she could roll them at his accusation. "Did I lock you in the closet, or tie your hands behind your back? No. You could've not burnt them, if you could take your eyes off me. It's not my fault I'm gorgeous!" she exclaimed, fighting in a laugh. "I haven't gone out to a movie in ages. I'm a renter," she added, nodding her head.

Ed laughed. He couldn't help it, he enjoyed watching her react like that. Back to planning their day, "Would you want to go out to one? Just for something different?"

"Sure, if anything's playing," Cha-Cha agreed, but really that was a dumb statement. Of course something would be, and she wasn't too picky. Even the worst movie in theatres was bound to be better than anything she was used to. Hollywood blockbusters were rarely put on for a four dollar sale.

Beneath the old magazine he'd been reading before she arrived was the newspaper. Both thrown carelessly on the coffee table, their edges were sticking out, laughing at Ed who had just gotten a now comfortable Cha-Cha on him. "Could you reach that paper?" he asked, sorry to make her move.

Cha-Cha groaned but lazily lifted herself up. Getting up off of Ed was no easy task but she did it, grabbing the paper and handing it back to him. "I don't really know what's out...don't read the paper all that often," she admitted. Instead of leaning back against him, she sat normally on the couch, her back against the cushion. If curled up with him again, she wasn't sure she'd be able to get up.

Ed silently agreed with her. If they got too comfortable they'd never make it out to a movie. Ed flipped to the movie section. _Please, don't let their be a million chick flicks_. First on the list was_27 Dresses_. He figured if he liked _You've Got Mail_, he'd like some other girl movies. _Enchanted_. Okay, chick flicks not preteen. Like _Fool's Gold_. He'd heard good things about that.

The ones that drew his attention more were _I Am Legend_, _Michael Clayton_, and ... well _Mad Money_ actually looked pretty funny... "What are you in the mood for? I like anything," he lied. Sort of lied. He did like a few from each genre.

"Well..." Cha-Cha leaned her head over to try and get a better look at what was playing. Not that it made too much difference, she'd never heard of most of the movies, anyway. Or at least, not in very much detail. "27 Dresses. Might be sort of under whelming, I like to think I've got at least in the thirties,: she grinned, scanning the page. "If Michael Clayton's anything like Harry Potter, I'm in," she decided.

"There's no magic in it, but it's probably just as suspenseful," he guessed. "Is suspense your type of movie? I thought girls were supposed to like romance."

"I like all sorts of things. I'm not picky," Cha-Cha replied. It was true. Not with movies, not with food...not with men...despite that, things hadn't't turned out too badly for her. "I wouldn't want you to be bored out of your mind though. Then again, you liked You've Got Mail," she remembered.

"So there's something else we've got in common, I like anything too." He sat up straighter, taking a last look at the paper before folding it in half and laying it on the coffee table. "Michael Clayton, then? Do you even know what it's about?" he asked, curious.

"No idea," Cha-Cha admitted, crossing her legs and trying to think back. Hadn't there been a commercial on the radio? Er, that might've been about Michael Jackson. It was hard to remember. She didn't watch a ton of TV (she didn't get a ton of channels) outside of movies, so she wouldn't know from there. "Do you?"

"It's set in New York, then again, what movie isn't?" he laughed. "Something about crooked attorneys and detectives saving the day..." Finally, the police weren't the bad guys. He hoped.

"So of course you like it," Cha-Cha laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "Is it a law movie? Like, courtroom? I can never follow those," she told him, biting her lip. She could never understand the process they went through...meaning she probably wouldn't understand his job.

"I don't think so. The trailer made it look more...action-y than courtroom drama. Lots of twists and turns, that sort of thing. And don't feel bad," he added. "I can hardly follow Jack McCoy when he gets going. He's our district attorney." The EADA if you want the official title.

"Okay then. Action I can take...sort of," Cha-Cha replied. Gore made her squirm sometimes, but...she still had an odd fascination with it. Action movies always got some blood in there. It scared her a little, but at the same time it was like a car crash. She just couldn't look away.

"If you don't like it we can leave," he offered. Then again, he'd be there to hold her. A good movie choice indeed. "There was a showing around four, that's...oh, in about an hour, then six, eight... Might as well go soon," he said, trying to be casual. The thought of returning with plenty of couch time may have crossed his mind.

"Now that's classy. I've never walked out of a movie before," Cha-Cha laughed. Every time she'd ever went, it was after saving up for a few weeks to afford it. She wouldn't dream of walking out after all that. "Can we really? Oh, if it's bad we have to be loud about it," she laughed again at the thought. She'd never walked out before, but it did look like fun.

"Sure," he grinned. He'd left several movies, but not for a disappointing movie. More like an annoying date. But he never used the 'I need to run to the bathroom' excuse. He'd always said it wasn't working and left obviously. Ed stretched in place, then started to get up.

"Yes. We have to complain loudly, too. Maybe we'll get ourselves kicked out! I've never gotten kicked out of anything before. I don't think," Cha-Cha thought back. Not that she could remember right off the back. Wow. Suddenly she felt like such a good girl. What was wrong with her. Standing up, she snagged her purse, looping it over her shoulder.

Ed lead the way out and down to his car. Subways and taxis were nice if for meeting each other, but with both of them here, he could drive. Though New York traffic is terrifying for many, his cop car was usually left alone, and people kept as much distance as New York streets allowed.

Cha-Cha followed him carefully, big heels clunking through the halls. "Are we taking the subway...?" she asked curiously. Though it was pretty clear they weren't, considering they hadn't't stopped yet. It had been so long since Cha-Cha had been in a car, she'd nearly forgotten that people generally owned them.

"I'll drive. I don't go as fast as taxi's," he wasn't suicidal, "but if it gets close to the showtime, we can consider it an emergency." Ah, the joys of having a police car for the those important, speedy runs. He was always to tempted to use the lights in traffic jams. But unfortunately he was honest, and was forced to wait them out. But today could be an exception in the interest of fun.

Cha-Cha paused, staring at him. "Are you saying we can go on a police chase? Oh my god," she squealed lightly, obviously excited. Now that was a new one, a real police chase. She'd seen the inside of a cop car before, but it hadn't't been very high speed.

"_Maybe_," he laughed. "If we have to." And he could save it for a day they truly couldn't think of anything to do. "I'm assuming you'd like to ride shotgun, but if you want the full cop car experience I can handcuff you and put you in the back," he winked.

Cha-Cha's eyebrows rose towards her hairline, and she struggled with what to say to that. "Ed, you...I have about a million and one things to say to that. All of them dirty," she bit her lip with a grin. That was the problem with dating a detective. It kicked her brain further and further into the gutter.

"And none of them protesting?" Ed grinned wickedly and slid behind the wheel. He lowered the window and asked, "Are you just going to stand there looking pretty, or are you going to join me?"

Cha-Cha didn't answer him, just shot him a grin before moving around and climbing in beside him. No handcuffs. At the moment. "As long as you keep the pretty in there," she responded with a laugh, her eyes going directly to the panel, the different switches and fiddles there. Her hands twitched as she wondered what they all did.

On the way to the theatre Ed tried to explain what some of them were for. Navigating city traffic and keeping curious fingers away from things at the same time was rather difficult. He pointed out what turned the cherry on, and said that if they really did need to hurry it up to make the four o'clock showing, he'd let her push it. IF.

"You know, it is getting late! We don't wanna miss the previews. I haven't been to a movie in decades and I need to see the previews...plus you drive like a grandpa. Which is not far off I might add!" Cha-Cha was doing her best to convince him, trying to keep her pout in place. "Just let me push it."

Ed laughed throughout her protest, thoroughly amused. "It's not my fault so many people live in New York, Cha-Cha," he insisted. "I can't go any faster."

"Right. Not unless it were an emergency. Like now, it's three fifty eight! Drive, Ed, drive! I'll push the button," she coughed. It was three twenty eight. They were in no danger. But...it was flashy and it made noise. Cha-Cha was intrigued.

If Ed were able to, he'd cover both his eyes to avoid seeing the pitiful look she had in place. Could the detective who handled murderers, rapists, and the worst vermin of New York simply say the word 'No' to a pouting drag queen?

Apparently not. "Fine," he gave in.

"Yes!" Cha-Cha squeaked, eagerly flipping the switch. "Ooh it's loud! Do we get to speed up now?" she asked excitedly, looking out the window. So that was how it felt like to be arrested, really arrested, not just a misunderstanding. It was very liberating.

With cars doing there best to make their way to the side of the road, Ed really had no choice but to accelerate to keep up the illusion he was after someone. He had no doubt the poor drivers in front of him had panicked and quickly tried to figure out what they'd done. Hopefully those around would assume he was on his way elsewhere.

Cha-Cha was having the time of her life, watching the blurs as they zoomed past the cars. It was kind of pretty, in a dizzying sort of way. She hadn't't even noticed she was clutching onto her seat, the smile on her face refusing to get off. "Oh, I'm not gonna get you fired, am I?" she asked as an afterthought.

"Thank you for being so concerned _after_ you've got what you wanted," he said sarcastically. But he really didn't see why police would pull him over or anything, he was, after all, on the force himself. And he was allowed to use things as he saw fit. When someone's life was in danger, right? He had reason to fear for his own if he didn't cooperate with the girl beside him. _That's my story and I'm stickin' to it_.

"I'm caring like that," Cha-Cha replied with a giggle, shrugging it off. If there was a problem he probably wouldn't have given in. Unless of course he figured she was worth the risk, which she really wasn't. There were two disco balls shoved away somewhere in her bedroom which really had the same sort of effect. Course it was nothing like a cop chase but... "Ooh, next time we need to go on a stakeout. Like in the movies," she decided.

"And who would we watch?" he asked, taking a corner much too fast. "Next you'll be wanting your own gun," Ed laughed. Now that was a truly intimidating thought. Her pout having the aid of fire power? He really _would_ be incapable of telling her no.

"Don't give me ideas. I've already got the handcuffs," Cha-Cha replied casually. Completely and totally honest about it. "And my birthday's only a couple months a--oh god, my birthday's only a couple months away," her grin turned into a groan. Twenty six. She decided not to think about it while speeding through New York City.

What was so wrong about turning twen- Ed shot her a double take. Was she kidding about the handcuffs? _Eyes on the road!_ Swerve.

Cha-Cha laughed out loud, holding onto the seat tighter. "Ed! Are you trying to kill us? Really," she scolded, her cheeks red from laughter. It was sort of like a roller coaster...except the threat of crashing was more present.

"This was your idea," he reminded her, slowing down. The theatre was in sight, and he sighed in relief. He turned the lights and siren off, and coasted down to the speed limit. Though 45, it seemed like they were crawling. He checked the time. Three thirty nine. "You'll get to see your previews."

"You tempted me. I have no willpower," Cha-Cha combated, leaning back in the seat as they slowed down. Ed needed to learn, whatever happened, it wasn't her fault. Rarely her fault. It was simply the way of the world. "Oh good. Those are the best part anyway."

It being four o'clock on an average Monday, choosing a nearby theatre hadn't't seemed a risky move. Everyone he knew was, or should be anyway, at work. Finally his working weekend schedule had a chance to be useful. His free days were ones his coworkers were busy. Still, after he parked, his eyes darted around the lot before opening her door.

Cha-Cha stepped out of her side, a little dizzy but not too bad. They would have to do that again sometime. That much was for sure. She sighed though when she noticed where he was looking; she'd almost forgotten how careful they had to be. "All clear?" she asked.

Ed had hoped she hadn't't seen. "Yeah," he smiled brightly. His hand hovered around her lower back as they walked, nervous about her heels and the February ice. Not that his own shoes had the greatest traction, mind you. But hell would have to freeze over, thaw, and freeze again before he'd let her fall. And that was that.

The other thing Cha-Cha had to forget that made her heels difficult was the snow. If she'd realized they would be outside, she probably would've dressed better for it. Closed toe heels and maybe a longer skirt. She supposed it could've been worse; she could've had wheels. The thought was pretty funny though, her skating around the icy lot and him trying to catch up.

Still though, she held onto the side of his jacket while they walked, just in case.

"You know, it's the middle of winter," he said, eying her skirt for the millionth time. Though he very much appreciated it, she had to be freezing. "Planning on staying on my couch all afternoon, hmm?" Ed teased.

Cha-Cha smiled, a little embarrassed but she could pass her pink cheeks off as being cold. So what if she had? It wasn't like he'd be protesting. She hoped not, anyway. "It was pretty comfy. Way more overstuffed than mine. Did you hurt all over the other day? I know I did, even with you as a pillow," she laughed.

"From head to toe," he chuckled, opening the door. Inside he bought the tickets, bouncing slightly trying to get some feeling back in his body. The two minute walk from the car to building was just long enough to leave him frozen. He glanced out the window before heading down the hall to their theatre. It was snowing slightly. "I'd forgotten about the weather conditions, we should probably stick to the speed limit going home."

Cha-Cha sighed deeply, "_Fine_." Well, they'd had their fun once at least. Spinning out of control on icy streets wasn't really her idea of a good time. The speed limit was so slow though! Or at least, it would definitely feel that way after going on a joy ride.

As they headed into the theatre, she quickly scanned the seats. She wasn't exactly sure why she did it; if there was someone Ed knew in there, there was no way she'd know it. But she looked to him quickly, hoping all was clear. She didn't exactly like having to look behind her shoulder at every minute, but...what could you do.

"You're so spoiled," he laughed. Later Ed felt her eyes on him, and a momentary flash of guilt hit him. She shouldn't feel she had to be on alert all the time, he thought. He wanted her to relax and have fun. As relaxing as this movie would allow, anyway...

"Don't worry, we're fine," he assured her, leading her down a row and dropping into the comfortable chair.

Cha-Cha sat down beside him, a smile greeting her lips as she sank down into the chair. Comfy to sit in, scary to look underneath. She'd forgotten about movie theatre chairs. "Good. It's so dark, anyway, how would they every know?" she added. She crossed her legs, doing her best to smooth her skirt over her legs fully.

Her hand had hardly reached her skirt and Ed started to protest. "Oh don't do that," he grinned playfully. "What if the movie bores me?"

Cha-Cha stopped what she was doing, looking up at him in fake shock. "Dirty old man," she accentuated every word. Wait, did that mean the movie was boring? Maybe they'd get to walk out anyway. "What if I were cold, hm? It is February and I was _expecting_ to snuggle on your couch all day," she pointed out with a giggle.

Ed had thought ahead and worn long sleeves. Well, he pretty much always wore long sleeves, but he could pretend he was intelligent in these matters, right? He shrugged out of his coat, lifted up the chair's arm, and tugged her a little closer, draping his jacket over her like a blanket. "There, now you're covered and I'll be watching the movie. Happy?"

Cha-Cha watched as he placed the blanket over her legs, another smile coming to her face. "Aren't you sweet," she cooed lightly, biting the inside of her lip. Normally she wouldn't think twice, but being in public was a different story. She didn't know how much affection she was allowed to show him...well, that he'd be comfortable with her showing. But then again, the theatre wasn't exactly packed, and he'd already said no one he knew was there. The people who were present were mostly watching the starting previews, anyway.

She leaned up a bit to kiss him tentatively, ready to back off if it wasn't a good idea.

Ed kissed her back confidently, determined to show her he didn't believe they'd have to be eying the doors the entire time they were out of their apartment building. He kissed her deeply, then abruptly pulled away to jokingly ask, "What about your previews?"

Cha-Cha relaxed as he deepened the kiss, feeling better about it. She'd half expected him to pull away. That was her vision when he said they had to be careful...maybe it would be easier than she thought? He didn't seem to be overly paranoid.

"...The which?" she asked as he broke away, that frown coming back in place. It seemed to come back more and more often...particularly when his lips weren't on hers anymore. "Oh, right! Them," she remembered, grinning. She hadn't't even noticed they were on, but now that he mentioned it, she shifted more forward in her seat.

"I was kidding," he said, using a finger to turn her face back toward his. This was time well spent. Why watch previews to movies he'd never see?

"I wasn't," Cha-Cha replied, though when she kissed him again it was clear she really was. The previews were very important, yes, but there were more important things to tend to. If he was going to let her kiss him in public, something she didn't think he'd allow, she wasn't going to pass it up.

In all good romance scenes, both pairs of eyes slowly flutter closed as the two draw closer together. A content sigh thrown somewhere in there. Ed's eyes, however, stayed open. His blinks were longer than normal, almost completely preventing him from looking altogether, but despite thinking to himself that confidence was key, he couldn't help it. Old habits die hard. But she couldn't tell, and after a few moments he willed himself to keep them shut.

Bang bang bang. Cha-Cha jumped at the gunshots, louder than she was used to on her tiny TV. It wasn't scary, it was just loud. She broke the kiss, just to see who got it. "Still the previews?" she groaned lightly. Trailers were long!

Ed glared at the screen for interrupting. Well, might as well pay attention while they still could. He wrapped an arm around her and shifted as close as he could to her. It was the last trailer, so good timing. Sort of. The old 'Silence is Golden' page flickered across the screen, followed by opening credits.

Cha-Cha beamed, wrapping her arms around him as best she could. It was harder to do in separate seats, opposed to...oh, she didn't know. A couch, maybe. But she made do the best she could, comfortable and happy to be next to him. Even if the movie was boring.

Ed had agreed to the first movie she suggested, and was glad to see that it was one he'd enjoy. From the beginning he was already trying to guess what the twists would be, and of course the car explosion was well accepted. Typical guy. Blow something up and they'll enjoy your movie. He wasn't one hundred percent sure how he felt about these movie detectives, though.

Cha-Cha hadn't't expected an exploding car; at least not so early in the game. Especially at such an odd moment. She jumped a bit at the noise it made, and parlayed that into an excuse for holding him closer. No one could ever call Cha-Cha stupid, she definitely knew how to get what she wanted.

"Wait, who's he?" she paused as the film flashed back, suddenly unsure.

Ed tried to explain what was going on while not disturbing anyone around them. He knows him from there, they lied about that...It seemed like one of those movies you couldn't zone out in, even for a second.

"Wait, but..." Cha-Cha frowned, bringing her hand up. "Which one is Michael Clayton?" She bit the corner of her lip, smiling through it. Could she help it? There were one or two more important things on her mind.

"Thhhhat one," he said as he pointed, after waiting for his face to appear. Ed could relate all to well to Clayton's past gambling addiction, and he tried to ignore it. He waited for another quieter scene, like one with a conversation, before adding, "And _she_ knows what the other attorney was up to." He waited for the actor Sean Cullen, he forgot the characters name, to appear and added, "He's Clayton's brother, the detective." He wondered if she'd only suggested this movie because she thought he'd like it. Ed hoped she was following and enjoying it alright.

"He has a brother?" she asked a little too loudly, prompting the people in front of them to shush her. Making a face at the back of their heads, she leaned back against her chair and tried to pay attention. So Michael Clayton was trying to figure out who exploded his car...or did that happen after what she was watching?

Ed chuckled. "I might have to explain after," he said. He didn't mind answering her questions, but if that made him miss something, he couldn't help either one of them figure out what was going on.

"Right," Cha-Cha agreed, and banked on that. If he could relay the information to her later, she could focus on more important things. She turned his coat around in her lap, sticking her hand into the pocket while she swung her foot.

Ed paid careful attention to the movie, taking mental notes to help when he needed to sum up the movie for her. Even with the chair's arm up-a truly wonderful, date friendly development- it was hard to reach her, and they were more shoulder to shoulder than side by side. If either moved toward the other, they'd be on the crack between seats. Not so date friendly. He inwardly sighed and pondered just pulling her onto his lap altogether.

By that point Cha-Cha had the movie tuned out, her chipping nail polish decidedly more interesting. It wasn't that the movie was boring. She just had a short attention span for things that weren't colorful. Or things that weren't more constantly moving. With loud bangs and everything. Or things that didn't have Daniel Day Lewis in them.

Out of the corner of his eye Ed could see her playing with her nails. He didn't think she'd gotten _that_ lost, but apparently she'd given up trying to follow the movie. "You're not enjoying this at all, are you?" he whispered.

"I'm having a blast," Cha-Cha assured him quietly, doing her best to sit closer. It wasn't easy considering their whole set up, but hey...his coat only kept her so warm. "Really. I mean, the...acting. It's very convincing," she added. She paused, reaching up to get a speck of nail polish off her tongue. Oh, gross.

Ed was not convinced. Eating paint did not give off a 'I'm having fun' vibe. His eyes left the screen to look at her properly. Nope, not convincing at all.

"And stop looking at me like that!" Cha-Cha added with a grin, holding up her hand to block his view of her face. It was clear where her nail polish was peeling, though. Cha-Cha could be a good liar...when she was trying to be. "Look, there's Michael Clayton. He's a detective," she added when George Clooney popped up on screen.

"His brother's the detective," he sighed, smiling. She was definitely not paying attention. And now he couldn't even smirk at her because her face was hidden. His previous idea seemed more appealing, since he wouldn't be distracting her from the movie. And she couldn't see it coming, which made it all the more fun.

After a series of a few swift movements, he successfully had her on his lap. He could put her back in her seat if she wasn't comfortable, but he had to do something to wake her up.

Cha-Cha squeaked, loud, which definitely directed some attraction their way. She barely even noticed, being so used to attention. Plus the fact she was currently sitting on Ed Green was a little more pressing. "Well. Hello there," she grinned, shifting around in an attempt to get comfortable.

"I couldn't help it," he said, hugging her. "You looked so uninterested. Had to make sure you didn't fall asleep. Or poison yourself. Do you even know what's in polish?" he asked.

"So you just had to pull me into your lap. Not that I'm complaining," Cha-Cha clarified. She let her arms snake around his neck, enjoying how easy it was to be close to him. "Some sort of poison, I'm guessing? I don't know. I don't try to eat it, believe it or not," she giggled.

"Could have fooled me." And pulling her on top of him was the only rational thing to do in this situation? Yes. Yes it was. "Do you want to go or wait the movie out?"

"I've never walked out of a movie before...but I just got comfortable," Cha-Cha pointed out with a shrug, grinning down at him. They were getting stares, and she loved it. "Guess I really have no choice. I think I can stand however much longer this movie goes for," she replied.

"We'll come back for one both of us want to leave. Which seems backwards, but...whatever works. And we can be loud about it," like she insisted before. He too noticed the looks they were receiving. He wasn't used to it, but she seemed to soak it in, so he went with it.

"Can we really? Okay then," Cha-Cha agreed with a laugh, sighing as she was finally comfortable with him. The movie was completely out of her mind and she was concentrating on more important things. Like taking advantage of her position and leaning down to kiss his jawbone gently.

Ed tried to hide his smirk. It didn't appear that she'd noticed his coat had failed to come with her. Before he could get in trouble for this, he reached for it and pulled it over. He took his time, however, arranging it.

Cha-Cha helped him arrange the coat in her lap, completely comfortable. She wasn't sure how much longer the movie was. But suddenly, she wasn't waiting for the end. She had other ways to keep herself busy and entertained.

Ed wasn't sure she'd even looked up as she helped him. Aw well. He continued to smooth the jacket over her legs long after the wrinkles were gone. He could just see the screen from his position, but it was all just pictures moving aimlessly, as far as he was concerned. He'd definitely have to rent it, there was no way he could catch up.

Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow at Ed, his hands moving needlessly over her legs. Well, it was a nice feeling, she'd admit. It was keeping her warm at least. She moved her legs under the coat, 'accidentally' wrinkling it again. "Whoops," she bit back a giggle.

_Hint taken,_ and Ed continued with one hand, resting the other on the chair arm that was still down. "I was working on that." He was always caught, and it didn't seem fair.

Cha-Cha giggled lightly, leaning in to kiss him as he did that. Like she said, she had other ways of entertaining herself. That was a big one. It had been years since she'd kissed in a movie--it was sort of a teenage thing, but she wasn't so far off. And anyway, teenagers couldn't have all the fun.

Ed returned it, probably not as enthusiastically compared to what he would have done at home, but still very much into the idea. It wasn't just that it seemed more a high school thing than the fact that many people in the theatre seemed to have found them more entertaining than the movie. And Ed was not used to being the center of anyone's attention. Cha-Cha was one thing, all too welcome, but random strangers watching him with Cha-Cha, very different.

"I think I like Edward Green better than Michael Clayton," Cha-Cha told him after breaking the kiss, her happiness obvious through her smile. When he suggested seeing a movie, she didn't expect to spend the time sitting on his lap, kissing him. Hell, she half expected there to be a seat between them. But Ed surprised her with how far he was willing to go.

"Good," he grinned. "I'd be kind of insulted if you chose a fictional character ov-" Ed stopped, eyes catching a glimpse of silver hair a few rows in front of them. Cha-Cha's giggles, though quiet, had caused a few movie goers to turn around occasionally, even after she'd stopped. The detective's eyes zeroed in on the familiar gray tone, and he swallowed nervously. The head turned to reveal a stranger, an elderly fellow who was not impressed with the two, and hardly a second later he was facing the front again. Altogether it couldn't have been more than a three or four second pause. "Over me." He had to be insane if he thought Jack McCoy would be in a theatre in the middle of the day.

Cha-Cha narrowed her eyes, following his eyes. What was he staring at? There wasn't anything out of the ordinary to her, but...then again, she wouldn't know. "Should I get off?" she asked quietly and reluctantly, her forehead wrinkling lightly. Could someone have been there all that time? If they were, would her getting off then make a real difference? They'd been affectionate since before the movie even started.

He looked at her expression, and Ed barely left enough time for himself to mumble "No" before his free hand was at the back of her neck, pulling her to him. He kissed her the most passionately he had yet, repeating "No" once more when he needed to breathe. He shouldn't have stopped before. She'd had one of the happiest looks he'd seen on her. And considering she was almost always smiling, that was saying something. Freezing up only made her back off, and he didn't want that. And it had only been Jack he thought he'd seen. Jack would understand, right?

The kiss surprised Cha-Cha but she returned it eagerly, her eyes closing. If she was beaming before, she was positively glowing now. Ed was so much cooler than she'd thought he'd be; no offence to him or anything, she just hadn't't expected to be making out to Michael Clayton. But absolutely no complaints. "Good," was all she could think of to say, her arms tightening around him.

He was different, he'd changed, he wasn't paranoid, he wouldn't screw this up, he kept telling himself. In the back of his mind he thought that sitting on top of one another should be left for home, side by side for theatres. He was still a bit skittish apparently, but at least she'd seen he wasn't afraid to be near her. Detectives aren't afraid of anything, you know. Except rats.

"Do you think they found the culprit yet?" Cha-Cha asked softly, looking back up at the screen. A man...wasn't that the brother? He was onscreen now, having heard the entire conversation George Clooney had had with...some other man. That _was_ the brother, right? "And do you have any idea what the culprit did? Cause I sure don't," she added.

For a moment Ed thought she was referring to his current case, and bewildered he asked, "Did I tell you about that?" No, he'd thought it was too gory to tell her. Oh, right, movie. "Oh, Michael Clayton..." Distracted again. "They killed the man in the beginning. The one who had the breakdown, remember?"

Cha-Cha paused. "Not Arthur Eden!! They did?" she exclaimed, having completely missed that. How did she miss that? Well...it was probably when she'd decided to see how much dust she could pick off her skirt. That might've distracted her a bit. "I thought they just blew up the car...ugh," she sighed.

"I'll write the director and tell him you don't approve," he smiled. He thought a moment, and then said genuinely impressed, "You remembered his name!"

"Would you really? It ruined the movie for me. That's the only character who's name I know...besides the obvious one," Cha-Cha laughed. "I did! Now if I could remember which guy he was. Not George Clooney, he was Clayton, right? Or was he the brother..." she trailed off, thinking about it.

"For a moment there I thought you had it," he laughed. The credits began to roll up the screen. The name of the man playing Eden didn't look familiar. "Ready to go?" Ed asked. He bounced his knees slightly as a hint. He'd lost feeling in one leg about fifteen minutes ago.

"Sorry! Not my fault I have a short attention span," Cha-Cha huffed, though it was clear there was a frown underneath all that. She giggled softly as he bounced her, standing up slowly with a soft groan. It had been awhile since she'd been upright, plus she'd gotten herself so comfortable in his lap.

Ed followed her lead, standing up with a grunt and almost losing his balance because of his numb leg. He stomped it a few times to wake it up, and started down the row toward the door. He didn't wrap an arm around her waist until they were in the parking lot, but that hadn't't really been intentional. He was busy trying to adjust his eyes to the light and maneuver on a tingling limb.

"I liked that movie, though," Cha-Cha said as they headed outside again. For sure, she should've worn pants, or a longer skirt. But then she wouldn't have gotten the same reaction. The frostbite was worth it. "Well, maybe it wasn't the movie, but I was very entertained," she added with a wink.

Ed grinned and unlocked the door. Strange, they could sit side by side alone in their building just fine, but ended up on top of each other in the theatre with an audience. Backwards, but good. Ed needed to get it through his head that the world wasn't crawling with precinct spies, and this would do it.

"Just looking at you makes me cold," he said, closing her door and walking around to the driver's side.

"Aw, really? I usually go for the opposite reaction," Cha-Cha's nose crinkled in a grin. He walked into that one. One track mines had trouble straying, especially when a perfect opportunity was presented to them.

"I...you know what I meant," he said quickly, staring forward as he started the car. He deserved that one. He changed the topic, asking, "Do you want to eat while we're out, or at home?"

Cha-Cha tried not to laugh at his reaction. Too hard, anyway. She knew he wasn't expecting that but it was hard to resist. Unfortunately a few giggles still got through, though her palm was against her mouth. "How far out would we have to go? Do you have somewhere in mind?" she asked. "I could do without another of your hamburgers to be honest," she grinned.

Ed glanced at her quickly, then continued to stare forward as he drove. "Hmmph." As if he'd burnt it on purpose. Still, a small smile was threatening to emerge, and talking was the only way to hide it. "Well, last time Sardi's was a bad idea on my part. I completely forgot Logan's there all the time." He considered the options he knew to be safe. "What are you in the mood for?"

Cha-Cha thought about it. "Let's see. We've had Italian, Chinese...American? If that's what hamburgers are. That's like three of the continents there," she hoped she was right on that part. "So what's left...Mexican? Indian? Umm..." she trailed off, thinking.

"If you don't mind a bit of a drive, I know a great Mexican place." If he were to define 'a bit' it would equal around forty minutes. Plenty of time to talk, though, so not all bad. "On the other hand, sushi is nearby and I don't know a soul who'd be in any Japanese restaurant. Chopsticks though."

"Tough call," Cha-Cha sighed. A bit of a drive could mean...well, she hoped it didn't men three hours south. But then again, there was no way she could go through a whole dinner purely with chopsticks. "I don't want to offend the nice Japanese people with my lack of chopstick skills. How long is the drive?" she asked, her eyes on the control panel.

"Little over half an hour," he answered. "Probably get there...around seven?" It wasn't horrible. And the reason wasn't purely to avoid coworkers. It actually was delicious and well worth the drive. He told her so, too.

"How long do you think with the cherry on?" Cha-Cha couldn't resist asking, her hand dangerously close to the switch. Could she help herself? Having that extra speed would have to cut it down to at least half.

"Fifteen, but it snowed while we were watching the movie..." It would be faster, and he was good at high speed, but he wasn't sure if he'd want to risk it with her in the car. Just the tiniest bit of ice was all it took.

"I guess," Cha-Cha sighed. She wouldn't want to die, that didn't sound too appealing to her. "Okay, fine, we'll do it normally. I get to pick the music though!" she conditioned, her hand moving from the switch to the radio dial.

Ed laughed at how she was so easily satisfied. "Fine with me," he agreed. He promised to speed her around in spring to make up for it. The drive went fast enough at regular speed anyhow, talking making the time go by and music filling in whatever brief silences arose.

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_A/N: Thanks for reading! My roleplay group needs some more people. **RENT characters are open**. All but Collins. We also need someone to play with Dana Scully! We've got Mrs.Lovett, Ed Green, Cha-Cha, Scully, and a few others. Join us! Link is in my profile, or you can email me. _

_Send Operatic fan mail! Anything involving Cha-Cha was her._


	5. Monday, Monday Part 2

Anything with Ed is me, anything with Cha-Cha is **Operatic**. **I got permission from Operatic to post this**. Send her fan mail!!!!

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Monday, Monday

Part Two

Cha-Cha smiled, flipping through the stations restlessly. She had too many different tastes, and she wasn't going to rest any time soon. There was always something better on the next channel, it seemed. "What do you usually listen to, Ed?" she asked out of curiosity, not because she was going to switch to that.

"A little of everything." He couldn't pick a favorite. "I flip through the stations too," Ed smiled, turning a corner. "You?"

"I don't stay on one long enough to decide," Cha-Cha admitted, finally resting on a station. High energy music with a fast beat, not bad. Danceable, at least.

"Fast music won't make me go faster," he said jokingly, although it was not entirely true. Some had that _need for speed_ quality that got drivers in trouble.

"Maybe not, but it makes me feel like dancing. Not the best way to be in a moving car, but you know," Cha-Cha shrugged, her foot swinging to the beat. Slow songs bored Cha-Cha greatly, things needed some real swing to them. Or thump.

Ed nodded. Ballads and slow songs were only entertaining for so long. And what he would give to see her dance, he thought. Definitely keep that as a suggestion for something to do another night.

"Do you dance?" Cha-Cha asked hopefully. It would be a huge bore if he didn't like to dance. Well, not a huge bore, but she liked men that had some flow. Or at least wouldn't be objected to holding her while she tried to give them some.

"I do," he answered. And he wasn't half bad, mind you. After a particularly grueling case it was helpful to find a way to relax and have fun. Get his mind off the horrors of New York and focus on the anonymous, attractive man at the closest bar.

"Good," Cha-Cha replied simply. When the song finished, she immediately began switching the stations again. "Ugh, talk radio," she groaned, switching through that one quickly. Who actually listened to the radio to hear people talk? She did enough talking, no need to listen to more.

Ed turned another corner and informed her they'd be there in about five minutes. "Try five," he said, referring to one of the six buttons home to programmable favorites.

Cha-Cha nodded her head, switching on station five. She attempted to leave her fingers at rest, so she could at least hear what it was playing. There were only five minutes left anyway, so she could stand a few minutes of bad music. If it was bad.

It was a station known for playing absolutely everything. At the moment, it was in the middle of "2 Princes", the old 90's song that had taken Ed a while to understand what they were saying. In fact, the phrase "two princes" was pretty much the only part he couldn't understand, because his ears weren't expecting 'princes'. Once he had a car that displayed song names, everything made much more sense.

Cha-Cha listened to the song, nodding in approval. It was more 'rock' than what she usually listened to, but it wasn't bad. It had a good beat, at least, which was always important. "2 Princes?" she asked, looking at the title. Both surprised at the song title, and impressed with the radio compared to her old crappy one.

"90's," he said. "I remember them well." He was tempted to ask if she was old enough to recall them. "The station plays anything you can think of, except maybe country. I figured if you couldn't pick one, it'd be a good one to try."

"Nobody likes country, anyway," Cha-Cha replied with a giggle. It was true, too. Well...most country. Some of it was okay for the laugh factor and all. As serious music (or as serious as Cha-Cha's music got), not so much.

"Go south and say that," Ed laughed. "There it is, by the way," and he nodded to a nearing restaurant. A few moments later they were getting out of the car and walking inside.

Cha-Cha loved whoever invented pavement salt. It made walking in heels in the winter so much easier. It did nothing for her cold legs, but it made it a lot easier not to slip. She still held onto him while they walked, though...just in case. One could never be too careful.

They were shown to a seat near a window, but before Ed sat down he asked, "Will you be too cold here?"

"I'm alright, or..." Cha-Cha trailed off. Unless he was worried someone he knew would see them. Really, who would be lurking around forty minutes away from home anyway? Aside from the two of them. "Or would you be more _comfortable_ in another booth, dear?" she asked.

"I'm fine here," he said, appreciating the thought. The voice in his head shouted 'Look! Hey! I'm better! No freaking out!' And then realized that sitting beside a window, to anyone else, wouldn't be such a cause for celebration.

"Okay then," Cha-Cha shrugged, sitting herself down on one side. She had to say she was glad, one more surprise for the day. "I have to say you aren't nearly as bad as I thought you'd be," she commented after the waitress made her way off.

"I'm a nervous wreck inside," he said, only half joking. "Am I hiding it well? Thank you for looking out for me, by the way," he said, nodding toward the window. "I was honestly only thinking of you. I should have caught that." He picked up one of the menu's they'd been given. "But no one should be around here. Even if they happened to be in the area, what are the odds they'd be in this restaurant?"

"Are you really? Well as long as you stay sane for me on the outside, I guess," Cha-Cha replied with a shrug. For someone going crazy on the inside, he sure was taking a lot if risks. "I haven't had mexican in so long. Surprisingly," she added, gesturing to herself and figuring he'd get what she meant.

"That is surprising," he agreed. Alright, truth be told, sitting next to the window was killing him. He never sat near the window. He didn't like a window to even be in his line of vision. But he'd already made a fuss over nothing at the movie, and he refused to do so again. No one was here, no one was outside, end of story. _Just keep telling yourself that..._

"Why is it surprising? Because all hispanic people are mexican? Ed Green, I'm ashamed at you," Cha-Cha tried to keep a straight face, though she wasn't doing a great job of it. "Honestly, educate yourself."

"I was only agreeing with you," he whined. "But if you're going to be that way, fine, educate me. Where's your family from?" He said family, not 'you', because he was pretty sure she was a born and raised New Yorker.

"The Dominican," Cha-Cha replied, keeping it short. She hadn't realized that would segue into a conversation about her family. That wasn't one of her favorite conversation topics though, to be honest. "Not Mexico. Far from Mexico...I think," she added. Geography was not one of Cha-Cha's strong suits.

He nodded, unsure exactly where it was in relation to Mexico as well. "I wouldn't have guessed that," he admitted. Not one of the first places to pop into anyone's head, he would assume.

"That's because you're ignorant," Cha-Cha replied, shaking her head in mock shame. Though her foot touched his under the table, so he knew she was just playing around. Like she usually was.

Ed "humphed" in an insulted manner and turned his attention to his menu, but he was grinning. He scanned the list for something that looked familiar. Come on, he's ordered the same chinese meal for twenty years, you had to have seen this coming. He mumbled comments to himself as he thought over the options.

"Yeah, I know! How about that," Cha-Cha replied to him with a grin. She didn't have the first idea what he was saying. It was alright though; she got the feeling Ed went into his own little world sometimes. Or maybe that was just her.

"What?" he asked absently, not hearing her and not looking up either right away. He contemplated one last item before setting it down, still open, in front of himself.

"I was just making fun of you, don't mind me," Cha-Cha replied, fighting back a laugh at his confusion. He was unbearably cute sometimes; though she figured he wouldn't appreciate that adjective.

"Thanks a lot, Cha-Cha." Ed shoved a menu across the table to her.

"Baby, I'm just teasing!" Cha-Cha protested, poking his leg with her heel. "I just think it's funny, cause I don't even think you realized you were talking. Don't worry, it's cute," she assured him. Yes, she was using the 'c' word. She couldn't tell a lie.

Ed rolled his eyes. "You're beautiful, but you're just too much." Detectives are not _cute_. Despite that, a compliment is a compliment, and it's only human to enjoy them. The corner of his mouth twitched into a small smile.

"I'm beautiful and honest," Cha-Cha replied, though she was beaming again. She was beautiful? She could live with being beautiful to him. No problem.

Ed smiled and returned to reading his menu, suggesting Cha-Cha do the same. He'd forgotten that he had already chosen though, so there was no talking to himself, just mentally confirming his choice. "You find something?" he asked after a minute or two.

"Have you ever had a fajita?" Cha-Cha asked after nodding. It had been awhile since she'd had Mexican and it was one of the things that popped out to her. Some of the things she recognized, but it would be easy to mess them up. A fajita was fairly easy, wasn't it?

"Yeah," Ed nodded. "Those are good, especially here." A waitress appeared to take their drink orders, and as she walked away Ed stole a glance at his watch. There was a good amount of time between them being seating and now. _Must be busy_, he decided, and shoved impatience away. "I'm thinking about a nacho..."

"We're so adventurous," Cha-Cha grinned. There were a lot of things on the menu she didn't recognize, but a lot of things she did. Somehow they both ended up with things you could get at a lot of American restaurants. They'd be more traditional, but still. "I think I might get some water with it...crazy, right?" she added, laughing at her own joke.

He smiled. "Couple's rebels alright." Eventually a waiter returned for their order. After, Ed searched for something to talk about. "What have you got planned for this week?" he asked.

"A few shows, probably. I'm seeing my girls on Wednesday, I promised. They threatened beatings," Cha-Cha added with a giggle. It had been too, too long. She was just as anxious to see them. "Sitting on my couch all prettied up in case a detective came to call. Things like that."

"I could come down Friday," he offered with a smile. Van Buren was still ignoring his requests for less hours.

Any chance she'd forget Valentine's Day was Thursday...?

"That would be nice," Cha-Cha agreed, turning her head and having a slight coughing fit. One of said coughs may have sounded suspiciously like 'Thursday'. One could never be sure though! "Do you have to work Friday or can you come in the afternoon?"

"The days open, so whenever you want me to be there, I can." Ed couldn't really understand her cough, but knew it wasn't a real one.

"Do you want to come over early afternoon again? This was kind of nice," Cha-Cha suggested. It was nice to have some time with him, without them getting tired and falling asleep on each other. Literally. Especially when she considered how little she saw of him.

"Sounds good." Another week where he only gets to see her twice. "What are you and your friends doing?" He thought if he got her talking about something else, she may forget to be annoyed with him.

"The usual stuff. Talking, shopping, drooling over Carmine, talking, talking..." Cha-Cha listed them off on her fingers, racking her brain for other things. "Practice. That's about it," she shrugged, taking a sip of her water as the drinks were brought over.

"Carmine?" he asked. The name was familiar, she must have mentioned him before. "Who's that?"

A small smirk came onto Cha-Cha's face as she tried to explain. "There's this man, who owns a pizza shop near where Ivana and Grace live, right? And his son works there. Carmine...he's like a Greek god, if the Greek gods were, you know, Italian," she gushed shamelessly, not sure she could paint him a good enough picture without him seeing. Also not taking into account she was gushing about another man to the one she was calling her boyfriend.

Ed raised an eyebrow. "Right," he said, unimpressed. Well, probably feeling more threatened that unimpressed. He was in shape, but he wouldn't consider himself anywhere near godly. And here he had felt bad for just mentioning Starr. He hadn't drooled over the memory of her.

"What?" Cha-Cha raised an eyebrow right back, before she realized her goof. "Oh! But don't worry baby, you're a greek god too! Course I haven't seen you shirtless and Carmine is mucho built, but I swear, I promise, I _swear_," she said this all very quickly, and took another sip of water. All in all though she was happy with her back-pedal.

Ed rolled his eyes with a smirk and patted her closest hand. "It's fine, it's a girl thing, I get it." Didn't they all stare at men going by? As long as he was the one who was in her arms, it was reasonably acceptable. Right? Yeah. Sort of. Maybe...

"It's not like you don't look at cute boys, too! Or girls," she added with a grin, implying that said 'girls' were not really girls at all. She'd never seen him do it but hey, it was natural.

_You don't hear me going on about them, do you?_ he thought with a grin. So maybe a few men had caught his eye. "I'm too old for boys," he laughed.

"But you're young enough for me?" Cha-Cha asked, not sure how to take that one. She was teasing, though. Kind of sort of. She did not consider age a fun thing to talk about. Not her age, anyway.

"There's an exception to every rule." She took that more seriously than he'd intended. He was only kidding.

"I should hope so. You're old enough to be my father," Cha-Cha pointed out, thinking about that. Was he? Well, not quite. Almost, but... "Sort of."

"I resent that," he laughed. Forgetting that implied he'd have to of been sexually active at thirteen or fourteen, he said, "I've never slept with a woman in my life, I couldn't be a parent."

"Honestly?" Cha-Cha asked in surprise. "Even I've done that!" She'd figured it was good to test the waters, make absolutely positive she was totally gay. She definitely was. It just seemed weird that she had, and someone like him hadn't. He seemed so...straight.

"Well..." He looked away momentarily. Alright. Once. But that hadn't counted. It was a long story. "Would that really surprise you that much?"

"Well...yeah," Cha-Cha shrugged. It was no skin off her nose if he'd never slept with a woman, she didn't care. It was just surprising. "To be honest I always thought you were bi, sort of. I mean...you like me. I'm as female as you get, if you don't count one certain factor," she pointed out, not sure how to explain it.

She had a point, and even he didn't really know how to respond. "I've had girlfriends in the past," he began, clarifying "One hundred percent female. I was good friends with some women and, you know how stupid college kids are, I mistook that for more. Later after the issue with Starr and not being able to go out at all...I guess I enjoyed being able to hold someones hand while walking down a street. But their company in some ways didn't compare to the company of men." How to put it exactly...clothes needed to be kept on? He'd flirt, kiss and do almost anything, but when all is said and done he couldn't sleep with them because he preferred a hard body over soft curves?

Cha-Cha nodded her head, hoping she understood. He had stand in girlfriends...beards? "That was when you were single, right?" she just wanted to make sure. But otherwise. she could sort of understand that. It would be hard to never be wit anyone, in public anyway. Which made her wonder about the two of them, but...she didn't bring it up right at the moment.

"Of course," he said, slightly insulted but understanding why she'd ask. "But that was a long time ago. I've gotten used to how I have to do things now, I'm not desperate for public displays of affection anymore." It was slightly different with a drag queen, like he had explained before, excuses for sitting across from a man was easier to explain than Cha-Cha.

Cha-Cha nodded. "But you have no problem pulling me into your lap during a movie...?" she asked, a bit unsure. She knew no one he knew had been in the theater. But she still wasn't sure whether it was just the people he knew, or everyone. It seemed a little strange, he wasn't desperate for public affection, yet he displayed it for her whenever they could get away with it. "I mean, I know it was pretty low risk and everything, but...I guess I'm just confused. If I were female --totally female-- you'd probably be just as desperate for it...right? I mean..." she trailed off, frustrated with her inability to get the right words out. "I guess what I'm saying is, are you just settling to kiss me when no one can see, am I holding you back?"

He had tugged her into his lap because she had obviously been bored, and he was trying to show that occasionally he'd take a chance. Would she prefer something more definite, like rules? That they actually had to sit a seat away? "If I felt you were holding me back from anything I wouldn't be here, would I?" He was getting slightly irritated, and without a good reason. He hid it as best he could.

"What I meant was," he started, "that I am not so desperate as to date someone I'm not entirely attracted to. I won't go out with a woman just so I can go out. I would much rather be with you. And..." He was just as frustrated as she was. "Just because I said I'm not desperate for public affection, doesn't mean I don't want it at all. Every night can't be like tonight, but...consider it me trying to make a good first impression. Which apparently backfired," he added quietly.

Cha-Cha sighed, not meeting Ed's eyes for the moment. It hadn't been her intention to make him mad at her. "That's all I wanted to know," she said, biting down on the inside of her lip to stop herself from saying more. She felt like she needed to apologize, though she wasn't even sure what for. "I know you care about me, I know that. I guess I just...wanted clarification," she looked him in the eyes a few times, but never for very long. This was still a relatively new development even compared to her track record. There were still a lot of things she didn't know about him.

"I don't think you're desperate," she added quietly, her eyes on her glass of water.

How he could go from pushover to jerk in ten seconds was beyond him. Now he couldn't even get her look at him. _Way to go, Ed._

One of her hands was on the table, and he reached over to give it a light squeeze. "I'm sorry Cha-Cha. I forget you can't read my mind sometimes."

"Well I didn't mean to upset you," Cha-Cha replied honestly, finally looking at him straight in. He probably was right to be mad though, even though she didn't mean it. She was always saying the wrong thing. "But just so you know, I'd rather be with you than any woman, too. And most men," she added, traces of her usual smile returning slowly.

"Thank you, I appreciate that," he chuckled. He wanted to add that he had really upset himself over something small, it hadn't been her, but even an apologetic Ed had his limits. Instead he changed the subject, asking, "Is it just me, or are they taking a really long time to ask for our order?" They had to have been sitting there at least half an hour.

"It's not just you," Cha-Cha replied, tilting his wrist towards her so she could check the time. It was about twenty after seven, and she was sure she'd seen their waiter around. "Think I should sneak in the kitchen and see what's up? They probably wouldn't tell the difference," she joked.

"And risk them keeping you back there for themselves? No thank you." He flagged down the first staff member he saw to let them know they were ready to order. He got his nachos and she her her fajita.

"Again, another benefit of dating a detective. I wouldn't be missing for long. You'd be in here with your gun and your...stick thing, and your flashlight..." Cha-Cha trailed off, unsure of what he'd actually use. "And then we'd go speeding home. I should do it," she giggled, but unfortunately the waiter quashed those fake-plans.

"Great timing," he grinned triumphantly, leaning back for his plate to be set in front of him. She couldn't go running off to the kitchen. Not that he really had expected her to, but you know what I mean.

Like Cha-Cha had expected, her fajita was a lot more traditional than the ones at other restaurants. It looked just as yummy though, if not more. "And we would speed home. I stress speed," she added with a grin.

"What are you in a hurry to get home for?" As if he didn't have any idea. He started on his nacho, delicious as usual. "Let me know if you like yours," he said, pointing a fork at her meal.

"Nothing...I just like breaking the speed limit. It makes me feel like a criminal and I like it," Cha-Cha admitted with a giggle. She could be bad every so often. When she felt like it. Not that she went around with a knife in her purse but hey...she liked walking on the grass sometimes. "Oh it's good. Do you wanna try?" she offered.

"Sure. And if I remember correctly, you had _me_ breaking the law." But a partner in crime was a criminal all the same. He traded a nacho chip for a bite of her dinner.

"Does Ed Green not have free will? Not my fault you're wrapped around my finger," Cha-Cha replied with a grin. Nothing was her fault, ever. Well, maybe some things. But it was rare and it definitely took her awhile to admit it.

"It's not right," he sighed good naturedly. "With my career, dealing with the worst people imaginable, chasing after convicts and serial killers, you'd think I'd have the nerve to tell you 'no' at least once. _Eventually..._" he warned.

"Yeah, but you don't like he serial killers and convicts as much as you like me. I hope not anyway," Cha-Cha pointed out with a grin. To her it seemed perfectly logical. Convicts were bad people who committed crimes, she was pretty and kissed him. Obviously there was no contest.

"_Oh_...I don't know about that," he teased. He had gone over the same reasoning she had and agreed, but where's the fun if he _always_ agreed right away?

Cha-Cha stared at him, unamused. "At least I don't kill people!" she protested, shaking her head. He wasn't as nice as she thought he was. He was pretty mean, actually. "Fine though. I understand. I'll wear jeans for the rest of my life but I understand," she added.

That got his attention, and at the thought of her never wearing a skirt again he just about panicked. Eyes wide and worried he hurried to say, "I was kidding!" After he thought about it later at home, calmly, he realized there was no way she could ever stick to wearing jeans daily. He'd surrendered too easily yet again.

"I thought so," Cha-Cha admitted with a grin. It was amazing what she could get him to admit and do with the threat of covered legs. She'd have to remember that one and test it further.

Ed took a bite of some more chips for an excuse to sit there quietly. He was secretly having a tearful goodbye with whatever 'tough guy detective' was left within him. It had become painfully obvious there would be no standing up to Cha-Cha.

Except that he would be working Valentine's Day and there was no if, and or but about it. Van Buren assumes he's single and therefore when it comes to asking for the day off, he has no good reason. "Any idea what you want to do Friday?" he asked. So maybe he'd told Lieu he needed to be out of state for a family thing that day. Lying a little didn't make him a horrible person, right? Right.

"See Michael Clayton again. Maybe we'll pay attention next time," Cha-Cha joked, though shrugged her her shoulders. She didn't really know. And there was no way she was sitting through another lawyer movie for a good long time.

She didn't say anything, but she sort of hoped it would be something...she didn't know what, but something to make up for Valentines Day. And the fact that she was about eighty five percent sure they weren't doing anything.

Ed chuckled. Whatever they did it would not be Michael Clayton, that he knew. "I'll think of something," he promised. Hopefully something to make her forgive Thursdays absence.

Cha-Cha nodded her head, alright with most things. She wouldn't push for Valentines Day though. It was sad, but she did understand. If he'd been single for that long, he hadn't expected to need the day off. Hell, he might not've even remembered Valentines Day's existence. What could you do? "So do you have an early morning tomorrow?" she asked, wondering whether they'd have to speed back, or if they'd have some time.

"Relatively late," he answered happily. He had to be at work by ten am at least. More sleep than he normally got.

"Good," Cha-Cha replied. If he could sleep in, there was no reason to rush, meaning more time together. Always a good thing. "What's your case these days?" she added, unsure how long one case lasted for. Maybe he was still working with the newlyweds.

"Eh..." He tapped his fingers on the table. "It's not exactly something I think you'd like to hear over dinner..." If she was interested he'd tell her, just a fair warning. "It's a murder again. Do you wanna know?"

"Depends on how bad it is," Cha-Cha replied. Gore was something she could sort of take. It made her squirm, but it was like a car crash. She couldn't look away. "Like...'Saw' bad?"

"Well, not _that_ bad exactly," he said. "But it started off with a woman finding a few...parts of another woman near the Hudson." Lennie and Ed were used to it, he was sorry to say. No one should be used to it.

"...Oh," Cha-Cha nodded slowly as she realized what he meant. 'Parts' had confused her, but she caught on slowly. This was the stuff he worked with? She suppose she'd known that, it just hadn't sunk in at all. "Um, how's it going?" she changed the subject, not wanting to know too much more.

"Not very well," he admitted. "Lennie and I...we know who did it, but lawyers being how they are... we can't do anything more than we have, and it's not enough. Jack says not to worry, but..." He hated defense attorneys almost as much as Lennie hated Jack. "The guy who did it has one helluva lawyer." Half their evidence had been dismissed under the claim 'unlawful search and seizure' and it angered him to no end. He and Lennie hadn't broken any laws. Just bent a few.

"Like as good as Michael Clayton?" Cha-Cha asked sadly. It was never good, when the good lawyer was on the wrong side. She supposed that was where the sleazy stereotype came from; they'd take anyone's money.

"Looks that way. The guy actually confessed to my partner," he said, grabbing a nacho. "But we weren't in an interrogation room. Well, he, I wasn't there. Lennie had gone after him, I went after the other guy. And he'd said something to Lennie that made it absolutely clear he'd done it, but Lennie can't prove it. The man denies it, I wasn't there to back it up, and the stupid Miranda rule probably has something to do with it to." He never did listen when McCoy yelled at him.

"But that's stupid. Why would he confess then deny it?" Cha-Cha asked, totally confused. She didn't get people. Not that she'd want to understand a criminal way of thinking, but still.

"I think he panicked. And it wasn't coming right out and saying 'I did it, come arrest me'. It was more...subtle. Yet, still obvious." He wasn't exactly making sense, but he couldn't remember what Lennie had told him word for word or he'd tell her. He wished he could make his partner sound more credible, but he believed Lennie.

Cha-Cha nodded her head, though she wasn't sure she understood. Still, why wouldn't the man know enough not to confess? Or not to deny it? She gave up trying to understand, biting the corner of her lip. "So what if you can't get him?" she asked.

She looked confused, and he didn't want her thinking he'd follow Lennie blindly, or that Lennie would lie. He was sorry he couldn't explain it better.

"He'll be back on the street, and I would never let you out of my sight," he said, smiling lightly at the last bit. "But don't worry, Jack's the best lawyer in New York. He'll put him away." Hopefully... _Come on Ed, think positive._

"Protective, are we?" Cha-Cha asked with a laugh. That was fine by her, having her back watched by the city's best detective. There were worse people to have looking out for her. "I hope so."

If he were talking to Lennie, he would make a joke only he would truly appreciate. Something involving how much he loved her legs, but preferred them attached to her and not by themselves. How the two of them could find anything funny in murders baffled him, but Lennie always had a wisecrack.

"How's your work going?" he asked.

"Same old, pretty much..." Cha-Cha replied, thinking about it. Well, she had been putting in a couple more shows, or at least trying to. Because she enjoyed it, and because her money was tight. "You should come see it some time," she suggested, though wasn't sure if he would. How close he'd get to a drag show when people he knew seemed to be everywhere.

"I will," he promised with a smile. Eventually. "What have you been singing lately?"

"I'm your venus, I'm your fire," Cha-Cha replied, sure he'd know the song. It was old like him. And really one of her favorites.

"Really?" he asked, surprised. She was right, he did know it. "What made you pick that?" Why wouldn't she? Ed realized he didn't know any songs she liked or disliked. Or her opinion on almost everything.

"Because it makes so much sense, doesn't it? Am I not your fire, your desire?" Cha-Cha pointed out with a laugh. So he wasn't the only reason, but it didn't hurt. "It's a group one, so we all decided on it together."

Ed laughed. "That you are." No elaborating. "The regular group?" he asked.

Cha-Cha beamed. "Mmhmm. There are about seven or eight of us..." she thought it over. "Nine, actually. Really those are all the girls in the show...not a huge cast but we're pretty good," she told him. She liked to think so anyway.

"I was expecting the normal three," Ed said. "Is nine small, or the average size?" He had no clue how many drag queens per club was the norm.

"That's like the maximum number. We usually all get on stage together at the end of the show and do one," Cha-Cha told him. It had been Lady Marmalade for awhile, but they liked to change it up every so often. "You'd have fun, I think. As long as none of the girls tried to steal you away..." which she could clearly see them trying to do. Cha-Cha bit her lip.

Ed had no intention of surrendering Cha-Cha. "I know I'd enjoy it," he assured her. "When I have a night off I'll come see you." He picked at the remains of his nacho. At the mention of her girls stealing him away, and her cute lip biting too, he thought he should make it known he wasn't going anywhere soon. But the only things he could think of sounded like they came from a bad romance book, so instead he smiled confidently and asked how she liked her dinner.

"Best fajita I've had in awhile. Well the only one, but hey," Cha-Cha told him. It had been awhile since she'd had Mexican. But Ed was right in suggesting this place. She held out another bite if he wanted it.

Ed took it happily. The check had appeared sometime in the conversation, and Ed picked it up. Not bad. He set his credit card beside it and looked back to Cha-Cha. "This is one of my many favorite places."

"I think it was worth the drive," Cha-Cha agreed. Though it had been quite the drive at normal speed. But she was sure he'd take her out with the cherry again. He promised. And she wouldn't let him forget.

"Good, we can come back. You finished?" he asked. No rush, just wondering.

"Mmhmm," Cha-Cha nodded, taking her purse off the back of the chair. She wasn't totally done, but she didn't need to wrap it up. It was a shame but she always forgot about it until it was too late.

When everything was paid for, and jackets were put on, he lead her to the door. He less obviously looked around, and was certain she hadn't noticed. "Your place or mine?" he asked.

"Hmm...well, where were we before, yours? I can't remember," Cha-Cha thought back. "Should we just head back to yours? I'm alright either way." It wasn't like it was a long drive between the two places.

"I don't know why I ask," he laughed. Same building and all. But it was a bit strange, and occasionally it didn't hit him until after. "Force of habit I guess." He checked his watch before opening his door. "I won't have too long, but you're welcome to come up."

"How long is not too long?" Cha-Cha asked. If he only had fifteen minutes or something, it might not be overly worth it. Worth it because time with him always seemed to be, but not overly.

Ed thought about it. Half an hour? "How about we stop at yours?" he said. "Then I can go up from there."

"Whatever you say, baby," Cha-Cha shrugged. It would be easier for her that way anyway, which was always a plus. She wasn't sure if Ed had looked around like usual, she hadn't noticed. But she still let her hand meet his as they headed for the car, just in case. Ice was still a hazard with heels, after all.

The drive home went too fast. They didn't have one awkward silence, talking and passing the long drive well. "What are you doing Tuesday?" he asked. They hadn't been able to think of anything for Friday, and he didn't think mentioning that again would be worth talking about.

"Like, next Tuesday? Like almost a week from now?" Cha-Cha asked him. "How early do you plan ahead? I have getting up and brushing my teeth on my list. And even that first one is debatable," she admitted with a laugh.

"It was the first day I thought of," he smiled sheepishly. So he knew his schedule early. Shoot him. "Fine. Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? I don't know...same old I guess. I'm gonna guess you have to work," Cha-Cha asked. Though it wasn't really stretch; it seemed amazing that he got one day off.

"Right. And that's why I ask about days in advance," he smiled. Avoid depressing answers like that. "I could show up unannounced and surprise you. But no guaranteeing you'd be home." That was an idea. Surprising her could be very fun. But...like he said, risk spending a free day without her because she didn't know?

"I usually don't know though. I need a schedule," Cha-Cha decided to herself. But then again, she'd never keep to it. It was sort of nice having her days float. It countered her otherwise predictable life.

"How about I promise to not go more than a week ahead?" He didn't see her sticking to a schedule either. And he supposed he shouldn't expect her to know as far into the future as he did. She probably changed weekly. His hardly differed over the years. He could guess very accurately to the days he had off.

"Well, if you know you have a day off, I'm pretty sure I can keep that day free. If I remember," Cha-Cha offered. But with a couple post-its she'd be there on time. And an alarm clock. "So we could do it like that."

He nodded. "I don't mind stopping by to remind you." He hated going days without seeing her at all. A five minute 'Hey don't forget' wouldn't make him loose to much valuable sleep time. Or...ten. Twelve.

"I wouldn't mind that. Call ahead, though, right? Wouldn't want you to catch me with one of my other boyfriends," Cha-Cha teased. Hey, it wasn't like other guys had interest. They had interest, alright, lots of it.

Ed chuckled. "There's no fun in calling ahead. Gotta keep you on your toes." As in standing. And not on the couch. If he wasn't there. And someone else was. Just kidding.

"I suppose. For a guy who's got next week planned out, you want to keep me on my toes?" Cha-Cha giggled, shrugging. It was one of the reasons she like him though. There was a good mix. Someone like him you expected to either be straight or heavily in the closet with a wife and kids. But he was out with her, and he was proud to be...as proud as he could really show, anyway.

"If I have my week planned, I'm happy. I know what's going on. That doesn't mean I can't interrupt _yours_." The apartment building was in view. Much too soon in his opinion.

"Oh of course," Cha-Cha giggled to herself. Well, there wasn't usually too much to interrupt, anyway. Hopefully he wouldn't walk in on her in her pajamas. That might be embarrassing, especially if it was after one pm. She noticed the building in sight, sighing deeply.

A few minutes later they were parked and heading in, and Ed was wondering if he should just walk her to her apartment and leave, or if he could hang around. Did he really have a choice, though? he thought with a mental smile.

When they got to the elevator, Cha-Cha made a point to push her floor and only her floor. She got the feeling he'd probably be having second thoughts. It was late and he did have to work. But what sort of date would she be if she sent him away without a cup of tea or something? It was only polite.

Ed followed her to her and door and didn't start the 'So I'll see you soon' chit chat that signaled the end of an evening. He fully intended to at least stay a few minutes. A few could mean anything with her though.

"Are you gonna come in for some tea?" Cha-Cha offered with her hand on the doorknob. Not that he got much choice in the matter, of course. She only saw him a few times a week and she intended to make the most of it.

"Yeah." Not 'sure' which was close to 'I guess'. 'Yeah'. As in 'definitely'.

He never liked tea, but, maybe his tastes had changed. He'd be downing it either way.

She beamed at him, turning the doorknob to let them in. Cha-Cha wasn't the best coffee-maker ever, but she made a mean cup of tea. It wasn't especially hard to mess up, but it still wasn't bad of she said so herself. "Oh damn, I'm out of teabags. Wait, I'm pretty sure I got some," she raised a finger, moving on to the cupboard. There were tons in the container, but he didn't need to know that.

He sat at table. Despite her attempt to act natural, he had a hunch she was stalling. _By all means, take your time._ He checked his watch when her back was turned. Ed would be drinking double the amount of coffee in the morning.

"So what did you say you were doing tomorrow?" he asked, just for something to say.

"I swore I'd see my girls," Cha-Cha replied, standing in her toes as best she could to reach the tea. "It's been way way too long. I think they're mad at me," she added with a giggle. Well, not really mad. Maybe a little peeved. But it wasn't really her fault; she'd like to see them more, but it was harder these days.

"What are you guys planning on doing?" What happens when three drag queens get together? The mind races...

"No plans yet. Nothing really special," Cha-Cha admitted. They never made many plans, just let the day go. Shopping with the little money they had, lunch, Rusty's. They usually ended up at Rusty's sooner or later.

He nodded. Getting together and fooling around was always fun. "How's the hunt going?" She'd been digging through that cupboard for a while.

"Got em," Cha-Cha turned around, lifting up the box of teabags. She tried to stuff some into the container to make the illusion more realistic. Next she went to grab some mugs, clicking the kettle on as she went. "You don't have to sit there if you don't want, I know it's not all that comfortable," she suggested if he wanted to. Then again, sitting on the couch together had proven itself to be risky. She wasn't sure how crazy he was about staying the night again.

Ed knew what she was implying, and as tempting an idea it was to move to the couch, he knew he wouldn't get up afterword, and he really needed to get home tonight. Maybe next time he'd decide the kitchen chair wasn't comfortable. "I'm fine," he assured her.

"I guess," Cha-Cha nodded. If she was really mean, she'd go over and sit on the couch herself, just to make him move. But he needed his sleep he supposed, and she'd be seeing him soon. She'd let him get his sleep. Tonight, anyway. "What do you take in it, milk? Sugar?"

"Sugar," he guessed. He couldn't remember the last time he drank tea, or what he did to it. Here's hoping his tastes had changed.

Cha-Cha nodded, grabbing a spoon. She wasn't sure how much he took, but she was gonna guess it was less than she did. Most people took less than she did. She went for one spoonful, biting the corner of her lip. "Or did you want coffee instead?" she asked, though the tea was already mad. She had no trouble taking the time to put coffee on though. No trouble at all.

"Tea's fine." She _would_ wait until the tea was done to offer coffee, he grinned secretly. "Coffee would keep me up more than tea."

"That's right. I'll put the coffee on," Cha-Cha decided to herself, dumping the tea quickly. Honestly she drank coffee more, the tea was just to switch it up. But he had a point there, the longer he was up, the more time they had.

Ed laughed. It appeared he wouldn't be sleeping well tonight. Like every night he tried to leave here. With that in mind... "Well, you know, I don't think I should..." Could he stop her? No. But he wouldn't drink all of it.

"Well, you know, it's started now," Cha-Cha pretended to be annoyed as she filled the machine. Her smile gave her away, though. The longer he wanted to stay over, it was fine by her. Even if it meant she'd be up half the night too.

By the time Ed actually got up to leave he'd stayed almost an hour, and was finishing his second cup of coffee. The number it was going to take him to get going tomorrow morning was frightening.

"You know babe, there is just a little bit of milk left in the carton. Like, enough for two more cups of coffee. It would be a huge shame to waste it," Cha-Cha suggested, looking into the bottom of the carton to hide her hopeful look. The girl was shameless. Even though she knew she had work and he couldn't stay, she was going to be selfish about it anyway.

"Can I get a rain check?" he asked, picking up his jacket. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and turned toward the door, paused, then moved back to kiss her lips properly. He wasn't in that much of a hurry now, he'd get no sleep as it was.

Cha-Cha sighed, returning the kiss slowly. He was smart to come back to her. It would be hard to get away with just a kiss on the cheek. She wished he wasn't going at all, but there was just no way. Smiling into the kiss, she couldn't resist letting her arms move around his neck.

Before she could get all the way around, though, Ed had caught her hands in his and brought her arms down slowly. The coffee had make him wide awake, but he at least needed to get home and lie down. "Sorry," he said lamely, squeezing her hands lightly. "I'll see you Friday?"

Cha-Cha sighed, though understood why she couldn't get too close. She supposed she had to let him go sometime. He had to make a living, and they'd had the whole day together. Rationale thinking wasn't one of Cha-Cha's strong points but she could fake it when she tried. "Friday," she agreed with a nod of her head, leaning in to kiss him one more time before bringing her hands down.

"Good night," he smiled. He left, images of what should have happened that night playing in his mind as he took the stairs up. Maybe running up and down a few flights would tire him out? He had a caffeine buzz going on, and that needed to end. Too lazy to try.

Almost a week had to go by before he could be with her again. He had been tempted to stop by after work each night, but if he stayed this long every time, he'd be so sleep deprived he wouldn't function at all.

At least she hadn't made a big deal about Valentine's Day.

* * *

_A/N: Send Operatic fan mail! She's awsome! _

_If you'd like to join my roleplay group, there is a link in my profile. Both to mine and Operatics forums. Join one, join both, hurrah xD_

_And another thing XD I did not know the song way up at the top was called "2 Princes" until I had a car that told me xD Id listen to the song, and I couldnt for the life of me figure out what he was saying. Then 'oooooh PRINCES!' The song makes so much more sense now that I know xD Yes, Ed is a carbon copy of me x3 _


	6. Surprise

_Ed is mine, Cha-Cha is Operatics. _

* * *

Ed knocked on Cha-Cha's door, hoping she was home. Leaning against the wall, he tried to keep one arm as casually hidden as he could. He'd forgotten her work schedule, if she had told him this week, and as he stared at her door willing it to open, Ed tried to recall if she'd mentioned she was busy today. It was a Thursday, who really went anywhere on a Thursday? And it was around five, surely her work would start later than that, right? 

Cha-Cha was very pink that day. Hot pink stockings, a red skirt and a lighter pink top. It wasn't hard for her to get in the spirit, even though she didn't have too many plans. Well, maybe she'd go down and see Ivana and Grace...and maybe pay Carmine a visit...

"I'm coming already!" she yelled at the door, clopping over to open it. Her features broke into a smile as soon as she saw who it was. "Detective Green, I didn't think I'd see you today," she admitted. She hadn't mentioned Valentines Day to him, assuming he'd be working through it.

Ed beamed when she opened the door. "Happy Valentine's Day," he said, producing a single pink rose whose petal tips were died red. Multi-colored, yes. He was that talented.

In the store - or rather, stores- that he had hunted through, he couldn't decide between a dozen or one. A dozen was impressive, but he'd seen enough romance movies in his time to know one was just as attractive. Something about the phrase _one single rose_ seemed to be romantic. Quality, not quantity, gentlemen. Not to mention the numerous songs he'd heard on the radio that day, drilling it into his brain. '_One single rose, my gift to you..._'

Cha-Cha stared at the rose, then looked at him, obviously not expecting it. She'd had boyfriends through Valentine's Day before, but none of them had done anything so thoughtful. Or...anything at all, really. "You didn't have to do that," she said softly, though her smile proved she was glad he did.

Ed gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, pleased with her reaction. "You needed something to go with your outfit," he teased. Was she a walking valentine, or what?

At the moment, Cha-Cha's cheeks were matching her outfit. It took alot to make her blush, but Ed Green was outdoing himself. She smiled deeply at him, leaning in to kiss him properly. "I thought you were working today. That was why I never brought up, but this...I wasn't expecting this," she admitted with a smile.

"I convinced Van Buren to let me leave early," he explained before happily recieving her kiss, forgetting she probably didn't know that was his boss. But she was smart, she'd figure it out. He was still holding the flower as he wrapped his arms around her waist, and instead of finding his left hand, his right clapsed the thorned stem. Ow... He twitched, but didn't make a noise. His mouth was busy at the moment.

"You are amazing," Cha-Cha told him after breaking the kiss, the smile on her face not budging. And to think he just walked into her life. "Do you want to come in? I was right in the middle of absolutely nothing. Valentine's Day is such a pain when you're not seeing anybody," she added, motioning to the door.

"Sure." He followed her in. "If that's what I get for one, next year I'm getting you a dozen," he said jokingly.

Cha-Cha winked at him, going over to one of the cabinets in search of a vase. She didn't often have flowers around; for one they were expensive, and she could never keep them alive. Maybe she'd pay more attention to this one, though. "You can sit down anywhere...do you want coffee, or...?" she asked, visibly excited. She'd expected to do nothing all day, it was a nice surprise to see him.

Ed hadn't really been sure what to bring her this evening. Most Valentine's Days were spent with a man who was happy with just dinner. No candy, no cards, no flowers.

"If you're having some, sure, but don't go out of your way to make it just for me." He sat on a kitchen chair and watched her hunt for something to put the rose in. Was it just him, or was she bouncing?

Cha-Cha nodded, standing as tall as she could as she got down a mosaic vase, different coloured squares all put together. "Okay, coffee...knife..." she went for the knife first, leaving it on the counter so she could cut the stem, before starting to prepare the coffee. "It has been a _year and a half_ since I've spent Valentines Day with somebody..." she paused, saying that again in her mind. "You know what I mean." 

That was hard to believe. Her ever being single was hard to believe, in his opinion. Especially considering where she worked. So many men saw her, none asked for a drink afterword? Then again he didn't know the crowd. Mabye it was the type you don't want to hang around. "Yeah, I think so," he nodded.

"I was gonna go see Ivana and Grace, maybe go see Carmine--good lord,_Carmine_. Him, you will have to meet, too. You will...like him," Cha-Cha said with a giggle, biting her lip. "But anyway, this is better. So are you free for the rest of the day? Or do you have places to be?" she was chattering, the censors in her brain having gone on vacation. Or melted. One or the other. She grabbed the knife, carefully cutting the rose's stem.

"I've got nothing to do. I'm here til you throw me out. But hey, I dropped by unannounced. If you want to see your friends still that's fine." She didn't have to reschedule her whole day because of him. Although he did sit up straighter at the 'better' comment.

"Maybe you didn't hear...it is Valentine's Day and I am dateless. Was dateless. I love my girls, but..." she trailed off, fitting the rose into her vase and standing back to admire it. Yeah, she'd definitely have to keep it alive. It was too pretty to let die. Next she went to grab down two mugs, waiting for the coffee to finish up. "Unless of course you've got some secret boyfriend you're not telling me about. Or girlfriend," she added with a grin. 

"I don't think I could handle two girls even if I wanted to," he laughed. "And I do not. I'm quite happy with one." He watched her admiring the flower, and couldn't help but smile as well, her excitment contagious.

"Are you calling me a handful? That's not very nice," Cha-Cha teased, dropping the spoon into the sink and going to sit beside him, mugs in hand. "It's true, but it's not nice," she added with a grin.

"I only meant I wouldn't be able to give you my full and complete attention," he said. "As we both know, I'm distracted easily enough as it is."

"Are you? That's really not the best way for a detective to be, you know," Cha-Cha pointed out with a giggle, tracing her finger down his arm gently. She was just teasing him, of course. There was no way she'd know how good he was at his job, but she was sure he had to have some talent at it. "Or is that just when I'm around?" she added with a grin, her nose crinkling lightly.

"In my defense, Cha-Cha, I'm simply curious. And that is exactly what detectives are supposed to be, always doing their best to figure things out." On the job, Ed was the perfect professional. It was Lennie who made the jokes and stopped at every hot dog cart they passed. But he admired and looked up to Lennie more than anyone else, don't get him wrong. Sometimes though he was amazed his partner could find any humor in their line of work.

"I never realized my legs were so mystifying," Cha-Cha teased, crossing one over the other so they were in plain view. Covered by pink nylon, but in plain view all the same. "I'll have to use this to my advantage" she decided, smirking at him lightly. Well, she did have awesome legs. She coudn't really blame him for staring.

It wasn't just her legs. It was all of her. Cha-Cha as a whole was intriging. "It's been almost fifteen years since I've been around someone whose legs were worth looking at." He had to make up for lost time. "Could we talk about something other than my fascination with you?"

"Really?" Cha-Cha asked in surprise, ignoring his later on question for the moment. "Fifteen years? Wow. I don't go...a day without admiring somebody's legs," she admitted with a grin. Legs...and other body parts.

"I'm not really around the type of people you can gawk at and get away with it," he said. "Most are older than me, some dead, and I happen to act professionally when I work and don't stare at my young coworkers. And I work practically 24/7," he said, tone unhappy with this.

"I've noticed," Cha-Cha admitted. "Except Valentine's Day, apparently. With is just fine with me, for the record," she added, and turned around for the third time at least to look at her rose. It really was gorgeous. "I guess people don't really kill each other as much on Valentine's Day, huh? I mean, that just seems wrong. Well, wronger than killing on a normal day," she clarified.

"I hope everyone is alive and well. I could get off early more often if things stay civil." Ed told himself to agree with her thinking. It was Valentine's Day. It's against the rules to kill people on this holiday.

"No complaints here," Cha-Cha assured him. They only saw each other once every couple of days; just a bit more than once a week she'd say. It made her look forward to it, but it also made her miss him. Odd, cosidering he'd been the one to take her on her first third date in a long time. Things didn't usually progress that much. "Then again though, not seeing you for a long time does make me miss you," she added.

"And you can't get sick of me as easily," he joked. It was frustrating for him to go three or four days without seeing her, knowing she was only downstairs, but he was so exhuasted when he came home... He'd gone to Van Buren to ask for shorter days, less days, no weekends, anything she'd be willing to surrender. She said she'd let him know what she could do, and that'd been the end of it. He'd prefer a bad excuse to no news, but he waited silently. If he annoyed her he might really recieve nothing.

"That's true! Though if I'm being honest, I haven't gotten sick of you yet. Like, at all," Cha-Cha told him, shrugging one shoulder. What was there to be sick of? He kissed her, complimented her, held her, made her laugh, etcetera etcetra. It was heaven, not something that really got on her nerves. "I'll give you a little more time," she added as a joke.

"Thanks," Ed laughed. If all went well, he'd have more time to spend with her soon. It was a small miracle he'd gotten to leave early today. Poor Lennie was still stuck at his desk, alone. But his aging partner preferred staying busy to having nothing to do at home, and if possible put in more hours than Ed. He wished he could introduce Lennie and Cha-Cha. They'd probably apprecaite each others humor.

"Just teling you honestly," Cha-Cha laughed softly. When he started to bug her, she'd let him know. If he started to bug her. But so far she was having a great time, ever kicking him out being the last thing on her mind. "So what do detctives do on Valentine's Day? Paperwork? Or journeys to New Jersey honeymoon suites?" she teased, biting in a laugh.

Ed rolled his eyes good naturedly. "I never should have told you that story," he grinned, then sighed as he thought about her question. "As far as the station is concerned, it's just another business day. I'd still be there if I hadn't convinced Lieu I had a girlfriend I _had_ to see. I don't really think she believed me at first, though."

Cha-Cha smiled to herself at the word 'girlfriend'. Even though she'd used the opposite term to descibe him earlier, it was still different to hear. But a good sort of different. "Why wouldn't she believe you had a girlfriend? I'd believe you," she asked, puzzled.

"Because if you ask her, I've been single for years," he said. "I couldn't say, 'By the way Lieu, I need Valentine's Day off, my boyfriend and I are going up north', could I?" He shook his head as he continued. "I can't tell you how many times coworkers have tried to set me up with someone. Their cousin's daughter, their friend's niece..." The long line of women they threw at this detective was incredible.

Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow. "Am I going to be fighting off a mob, baby?" she teased. She'd never realized what a ladies' man he was...now if only he actually liked the ladies. "Cause I can't promise you'd end up with me at the end. I can't fight off a fellow queen without the help of some lesbians, I'd be toast around a bunch of angry women," she fake-shuddered.

"Now you know how I felt, worrying about fighting guys off of you," he smirked. Well, at least he'd had practice wrestling men to the ground. "Once word gets around I have you, which will probably be by tomorrow, the match making attempts should dwindle."

"True! Which is still completely welcome, by the way. How romantic would that be?" she asked with a grin, sighing deeply. Well, it would be! She'd never been fought over before. Well, she had, but not by anyone she had any care for. "Me as in your girlfriend? Or your 'girl'friend?" Cha-Cha asked, though she knew the answer. She wasn't expecting him to be telling them everything about her just yet. Maybe one day. Hopefully.

Was this a trick question? "Girlfriend," he said, counting on himself to answer with the correct tone she was looking for. Naturally he couldn't tell the station everything about Cha-Cha. But he had mentioned her, so, that was something, right?

"I thought so," Cha-Cha admitted. It was what she'd expected him to say, so she couldn't really be annoyed. Not that it was annoying, it was just...it was what she'd expected. "Well, hopefully you'll tell them good things," she added, not dwelling on the previous matter.

"Absolutely," he said. The fun he could have bragging about her to Lennie... Not to mention he wouldn't be dodging women all the time. He just had to make sure he shared the appropriate details, kept certain things to himself... He was thankful he had at least a few friends who could know anything and everything. Ed would explode if it had to be kept completely hidden.

"Are you lying about it?" Cha-Cha teased, shifting closer to him. If he had to lie about it, the joke was on him anyway. Nobody was holding a gun to his head. "I mean, I'm really not that fantastic. There are things you could exaggerate about," she added, just to see what he'd say.

"'It'?_You_? No!" So far he hadn't found anything that needed to be exaggerated or lied about. Well, aside from her not being exactly 100 female...but she knew he couldn't explain that to them.

Fantasic didn't seem a strong enough word, in his opinion. "And if I tried to exaggerate I'm afriad you'd sound too good to be true, and then I'd have a helluva time trying to convince them you really exist."

The smile on her face deepened a bit. That was the thing about Ed though; he really brought up her ego. And hers was an ego that wasn't exactly lacking in the first place. "Now you understand my predicament," she replied with a grin. Cha-Cha was a fan of the mush, it was true. 

"I'm sorry I doubted you," he laughed, remembering himself saying she was a liar if she thought she didn't have to exaggerate to make him sound good. But he did have at least one extremely valid flaw, and he wouldn't blame her if she found scanning everywhere they went for a familar face annoying.

"You should be. You offended me greatly," Cha-Cha fake-sniffed. "Plus, you don't...give yourself enough credit," she decided on. _You don't see yourself the way I see you_ didn't sound quite right to her. Plus it felt too early in the game to try and describe how she saw him, exactly.

That was probably true. On the job he was confident to the point where Lennie often found him infuriatingly cocky. He could intimidate any suspect by simply walking into a room, and chase down and tackle murderers without a second thought. Ed was level headed and sure of himself with the men he dated, too. He couldn't, however, keep that attitude in any situtation with Cha-Cha. He couldn't help but think of all the reasons previous people had given him about why they couldn't date him, and worry she'd eventually think that too.

Cha-Cha kissed his cheek gently, content to just sit with him. It was rare for her to be so happy in such a peaceful moment. Just one more reason he was different from alot of the other people she'd dated. Sort of a big thing to say after a few dates, especially for her, who rarely lasted this long with anybody. She tried not to dwell on that though; she was trying hard to enjoy it without analyzing it too much. "You okay?" she asked quietly.

"'Course," he said, brightening at her touch. He took a sip of the coffee he'd forgotten about and smiled. "Feel like moving to the couch?"

"Mm," Cha-Cha nodded, raising an eyebrow. She'd forgotten all about the coffee she'd made them, and hadn't even touched hers. Nor was she going to. Few things in the world were more disgusting than cold coffee. "Do you want tme to make more?" she asked, scrunching up her nose as she watched him take a sip.

"I'm fine," he said. He wasn't particularly thirsty, and even cold it was better than the stations. "If you want some, though, go ahead."

"I'll just dump it," Cha-Cha shrugged, but continued leading him towards the couch. Later, she would. More important things on her mind at the moment. She plopped herself down, this time she was near the corner and she patted the spot beside her.

"You stole my spot," he chuckled. "The corner's always mine." Ed sat beside her, not one to protest over a minor detail.

Cha-Cha smirked, leaning back in the corner. "Now I know why you always take it. Comfy," she bit back a laugh, rubbing it in as best she could. "There's a pillow on the side and everything!"

"I am not above picking you up and moving you," he warned. She was very light, it could be done. He smiled smugly. If she was going to be that way, he moved further away from her to lean into the other corner.

Cha-Cha had forgotten that minor detail; couches generally had two corners. Scowling, she watched him go. "Are you really choosing that couch corner over me, Ed?" she asked in disbelief, swinging her feet up onto the couch to touch his lap. Well, if he had to choose that, he was going to be her footrest. She preferred him as a pillow, though, and put the most pitiful facial expression she could. "It's pretty cold and lonely over here, y'know."

"Whose fault is that?" he asked, eyeing her hot pink legs. Again, a short skirt in February... Still, Ed was no match for her pout. _I give in too easily,_ he thought, mentally rolling his eyes. He would return to her side, but if she insisted on having the corner, she was now the pillow.

"The one who moved!" Cha-Cha exclaimed, bringing her feet down off the couch and gladly pulling him back to her. It was another one of those situations where he could potentially spend the night. But somehow that wasn't really an unwelcome thought.

_It's never her fault, no matter what_, he laughed. He leaned against her, but didn't actually lay on her. She was, after all, a good deal smaller than he was. "So-" he kissed her cheek, "-spoiled," and once more.

"But you're the one who spoils me, so you must not mind too much," Cha-Cha replied with a small smile, leaning up to kiss him slowly. The extra weight made her lean a bit more, her back shifting so it was more against the arm of the couch than the corner. She wrapped her arms around him, smiling into the kiss.

Ed slipped an arm between her and the couch's back, and placed his other hand on the opposite side of her, now able to support himself. No fear of squishing her. "Purely selfish reasons though," he teased, getting words out whenever he could. "If this is what I get out of keeping you happy."

Cha-Cha rolled her eyes, but smiled through it. "You're so thoughtful," she laughed, pulling him down to kiss her again. Honestly, he could do it for any reason he wanted to. As long as he didn't decide to stop.

"I try." Ed shifted his weight to one arm so the other's hand could move slowly along her arm. He'd yet to explore here, attention usualy being caught by her legs.

Cha-Cha bit the inside of her lip, trying to control a shiver from running through her. It was funny, she barely thought of her arm as being sensitive. But she had to do the best she could to keep any goosebumps from rising. She was fighting a losing battle. With a soft sigh she leaned up to touch his cheek gently, a smile ghosting over her lips.

Ed smiled, eyes shining. His hand stopped, and he simply admired the young drag queen beneath him. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"You too," Cha-Cha replied quietly, doing her best to bring him tighter to her. He was heavy, yeah, but she couldn't help it. Suddenly she had an urge to be closer to him.

"Ah, careful," he warned, slightly resisting. He was already twisted in a strange way to avoid falling on her, but there she was, pulling him down.

"Hmm?" Cha-Cha mumbled, but otherwise ignored his request. She shifted herself slightly so she was sitting with her back on the couch arm more fully, and she leaned up to kiss him again. It was very hard to help herself. 

As you can imagine, if Cha-Cha were kissing and pulling someone toward her, they'd only resist so long. Ed wrapped his arms around her as best he could considering how he was positioned, and hoped she'd tell him if she had a problem.

Cha-Cha smiled to herself, pleased to have gotten her way. She pulled him closer on top of her, her hand moving to rub his back smoothly. Way, way better than any complicated subway map or visit to Carmine. This was what she'd wanted.

The idea that this-that she-was always only a floor away mixed with the fact he only came down twice a week was now unacceptable. He had never been happy with waiting so long between visits before of course, but he knew no amount of exhaustion would be keeping him from coming more often. Even if he only could stumble to the couch. After all, it didn't really take much energy to lie down and serve as a pillow.

He kissed her neck, and slowly, very slowly, made his way to her mouth.

This time Cha-Cha couldn't stop a shiver from running through her and she swallowed, returning the kiss deeply when he reached her lips. It had been forever since Valentines Day was spent like this. In that moment, she decided this was how she needed to spend Valentine's Days from now on.

Ed felt her shudder and grinned, pleased with her reaction. He moved back to her neck, smiling against her skin and whispering, "If you don't throw me out now, I can't guarantee I'll leave later."

Cha-Cha bit her lip, tilting her head back to give him more room. At the moment, she didn't really care if he didn't leave any time soon. Or ever. It was a little strange all this was happening on the fourth date, usually she got to this point way before. Then again, those relationships didn't really work out. And what was 'this point' anyway? Kissing on her couch? She moved her hand from his back and up to his shoulder, watching him.

The same thought had crossed Ed's mind earlier. It wasn't unusual for him to go to a bar after a grueling case, find a man, take him home, love him, and never see him again, which was normally fine with him. He didn't do it everyday. Hell, there were sometimes months between. Anything that reminded him he wasn't only a detective was needed now and then.

But Ed enjoyed this. Taking his time exploring her. Most of her remained a mystery and it was different and exciting not to have hurried.

Cha-Cha's eyes were closed and she relaxed a bit deeper into the couch, giving up any attempt to stay upright and instead enjoying his weight on her. "Whatcha thinking about?" she mumbled. She lifted her head to kiss his jawline gently, smiling through it.

"You of course," he said smoothly. It was true. Though he wasn't going to add that he was more specifically thinking that if this were any other relationship sex would have been involved by now.

Cha-Cha beamed. That was why she'd asked, just to hear that. She wasn't sure what else to say, but wasn't put off by the silence. It was nice. She pulled him to her again, kissing him deeply and slowly.

Ed was vaguely aware of his lower half until his side began to ache from the twisted way he was laying. Doing his best to keep his mouth as close to hers as possible, preferably on hers, he moved the rest of himself onto the couch as much as he could.

Cha-Cha smirked against his lips, pulling him down on her fully. What had she planned to do if he hadn't shown up? Nothing she could think of seemed even remotely interesting. Granted, she wasn't thinking too fast at the moment. She sighed softly, her lips moving slowly towards his ear.

"You're turn," he breathed. "What are you thinking?" He rolled over slightly to lean against the back of the couch as he relaxed, allowing himself to lay on her carefully, and only partially at that, most of his weight against the cushion. Throughout his shifting he was sure to never let her lips leave him.

"The task at hand," Cha-Cha replied quietly, letting her mouth press just below his ear, a smirk coming to her face. "Which is, getting rid of this," she added, fingering his shirt with a small grin. She was nothing if not forward and to the point.

Ed grinned with her and didn't protest. He was suddenly very much aware of the fact she wasn't wearing her normal amount of layers. Valentine's Day didn't call for a rainbow outfit.

Cha-Cha grinned, kissing him again and letting her hand run along his chest gently. Breaking away slowly, she looked up at him. "Baby, do you think we should..." she trailed off, motioning in the direction of her bedroom. Then again, words could fail her just like that.

He didn't want to get up, but he also didn't want to end up falling to the floor. Then again they could always just roll onto the floor now... But a bed seemed much more comfortable. "Yeah."

Cha-Cha smirked, pushing on his shoulders, though trying to kiss him at the same time. It was clear it wasn't going to work out, and she broke it reluctantly. "Okay," she repeated, unsure of why she was almost nervous. That was unlike her, she'd done this a million times before with a million other people. Well, not a _million_. But a pretty good number, and she didn't usually get nervous beforehand.

Ed sat back to let her up, shrugging out of the shirt she'd already begun working on. He waited for her to stand up, then placed his hands on her hips and followed her toward her room, not wanting to be more than an inch or two away. He'd sensed her uneasiness, and instead of hastily getting her on that bed with himself crawling after her, he turned her around to face him.

Cha-Cha turned, a small smile on her face. Of all the times she had done this, and that was a pretty big number of times, it was rare any thought was put into it. If it was gonna happen, there was no second-guessing, there was no...self-conciousness. She let her hands move up his chest slowly, unable to fight her smile from growing, before resting her hands on his cheeks, leaning up to kiss him.

Ed loved the feel of her hands on his skin. His own hands hadn't left her body since the couch, and his normal happy responses were turning hungry. He'd paused to make sure she wasn't rethinking anything, and now was taking this as a go ahead. He regretted stoping themselves several steps from the bed. Maybe he should have checked with her_after_ they got on it.

Cha-Cha grinned and followed him, climbing herself onto the bed. Any self-conciousness was finally washed away, being replaced with the normal moods. Thank god. She pulled him closer, kissing him deeply and closing her eyes.  


* * *

Ed awoke the next morning with half of him pleasantly warm and the other half cold. Blinking slowly, he saw that Cha-Cha was partially on him, with the rest of him exposed. He reached around for a blanket, but then realized he should probably try to get up without waking her. He might have forgotten to mention last night that he worked today.

So. How to do this without disturbing her? That is the question. He unwrapped an arm that was around his waist and freed a leg she had covered with her own. Then he remembered her expression the last time he'd tried to leave without telling her. Now he was torn between waking her up and risk her being angry now, or letting her sleep only to come back to find an angry Cha-Cha later.

He hoped she was a morning person.

Cha-Cha was sleeping better than she had in a long time. Not that she was an insomniac or anything of the sort, she just had a habit of drinking too much caffiene before heading to bed. This time she hadn't gotten much chance, and besides...she was pretty worn out.

It was too nice to want to break, and she grumbled lightly, obviously in denial. "I'm _sleeping_," she mumbled to whatever evil force was trying to get her up. Squeezing her eyes closed, she cuddled in closer to the person beside her.

Person beside her?

Cha-Cha's eyes opened as she realized what was going on.

Ed chuckled. Maybe poking her hadn't been the best way to go about it. "I'm sorry, go back to sleep." There, he'd let her know he was leaving. Sort of. He gave her forehead a quick kiss before lifting her up a bit to get out from underneath her. "It's too early for you to get up anyway."

"And it's not for you?" Cha-Cha whined as dramatically as she could so early in the morning. How early was it, anyway? Some morning person she was. Rolling over, she held onto him as best she could. If she wasn't leaving the bed, he wasn't either. "Gotcha."

Ed laid back down, laughing and trying (without much real effort) to get her to let go. "Cha-Cha," he said, allowing himself to actually match her whiney tone, "I have to get up. It's seven thirty and I need to be at work by nine." His internal alarm never failed him.

"But that's over an hour away!" Cha-Cha protesting, giving her best sad look. It wasn't exactly acting, it was cold without him beside her. "Five more minutes? They won't miss you for five minutes," she added, pressing a few kisses to his neck slowly. If the puppy eyes wouldn't work, the kisses just might.

"Five_real_ minutes?" he asked, already angry at himself for relaxing and giving up trying to pull her arms off him. "Or five Cha-Cha minutes? Because I have to go upstairs eventualy to shower and change..."

Cha-Cha smirked against his neck, kissing a line slowly up to his ear. "We can shower here. I mean, uh, you can! Slip of the tongue," she coughed into her fist. A very giggle-like cough. "C'mon, baby. Five realish minutes. Promise," she whispered, kissing under his ear.

"I kinda like that first idea..." His fingers ran lightly over her skin. He could definetly see himself laying here awhile... Wait. No. He would not give in! He had to have some willpower!

He untangled himself from her and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

Cha-Cha watched him go, obviously not expecting it. Usually that worked when she wanted to get her way. With a sigh she climbed out of bed, shaking her head. "So you're just gonna leave?" she asked, going to her drawer to find her polka dot pajama pants. It wa too early to get real-dressed.

Uh oh. That wasn't a good tone.

"I don't want to, Cha-Cha, but I have to get ready to go." He circled the bed, intending to give her a hug.

"I guess," Cha-Cha sulked, tightening the pants around her waist a bit. It wasn't uncommon for a guy to leave the morning after, or even before the morning came. And Ed had a real, legitamite reason to go, rather than running after getting what he wanted. But despite all that, she really wished he didn't have to go.

Ed guessed what she was thinking, and it wasn't like that at all. He wasn't the type to just love her and leave her. He wrapped his arms around her. "Five more minutes, okay?"

"Real minutes or Cha-Cha minutes?" She bargained, a smile coming back to her face. Either way, it was something and she'd take it gladly. Slowly she let her arms wrap around his waist, sighing happily.

Ed walked her back over to the bed. Laying down again, he pulled her firmly against his chest, aligning his entire body against hers. He kept an eye on the clock, holding her until eight. He'd skip his morning shower this one time and speed to work.

Cha-Cha relaxed against him, kissing him softly before snuggling closer to him. Five real minutes of this would go way too fast, but she tried not to think of that. He was too warm and comfortable. "Best Valentines Day in a long time," she told him honestly, smiling gently.

"Took the words right out of my mouth." She'd gotten an extra half hour of snuggle time, was he still in trouble for leaving? He kissed her shoulder before sitting up. "I've really got to get going..." Where were his clothes? He hunted around.

Cha-Cha was fit to whine, but miraculously held it in. She had gotten her extra minutes, at least. And then some, she thought with a smirk as she eyed the clock. With a groan she sat up with him, muffling a yawn with her fist. "Fine then. Do you want coffee for the road though?" she added. There wasn't much road to take it on, but she'd be making herself some either way.

"Sure. Do you mind if I come back for it? While you're making it I can go change." He figured she was trying to get a few minutes of talking out of it, but he was in a hurry.

"Nope. I think your shirt's still out here though. Unless of course you were planning on going up without it, which, while nice for me, would not do to scare the nice tenants in our building," Cha-Cha grinned, shuffling into the kitchen area. She nodded as she passed the couch, making a detour to grab the shirt and toss it towards him before continuing on her way.

"I'm that horrifyingly unattractive?" he called, putting the shirt on and heading for his shoes. "As if anyone in this building wakes up before noon anyway," he mumbled. He rarely ran into anyone, but that didn't really mean they weren't awake in their rooms.

"No. But believe it or not, people may be alarmed to see a half-naked man walking around at eight in the morning. Unless they liked it, in which case I'd have to get jealous," Cha-Cha added with a grin, leaning over as she waited for the coffee to make.

"I could live with you being jealous." Especialy after listening to her ramble about that Carmine Monday night. And after she'd been so upset he couldn't make it over on Valentine's Day, even when he told her he'd see her Friday.

Oh...damn. He walked into the kitchen. "You're gonna kill me."

Cha-Cha took her attention off the coffee pot, her forehead wrinkling slightly. "What did you do...?" she asked. That was never a good way for a sentence to begin.

"We made plans on Monday, remember?" he asked, pausing to see if she recalled that evening. "I _don't_ work today."

Cha-Cha did the math quickly in her head. Yesterday was...so toda was... "Why would I kill you? That's great!" Cha-Cha exclaimed, visibly excited as she forgot the coffee for the moment. More time to be together was exactly what she'd been trying to push for.

"Because I woke you up, and then you got mad, and I was leaving..." he rambled. At least she wasn't mad now.

"Yeah, but you're staying. I got my way in the end. Therefore, killing you is the last thing on my mind," Cha-Cha grinned. leaning in to kiss him quickly. "I'm a morning person anyway, I'd probably get up after you left."

"I haven't left yet, so no sense in you getting up." He took her elbow and tugged her back toward the bed. It was better than the couch, but that didn't really come as a surprise.

Cha-Cha laughed and followed him gladly, plopping herself down and looking up at him. "Now you're all dressed up with nowhere to go," she sighed softly, watching him and patting the other side of the bed. If he had the day off, they would be making the most of it.

"I can fix that." He slipped out of his shoes and shirt quickly and crawled in beside her. Despite the fact he was clothed from the waist down and would soon have a warm body against him, he groped around for the blanket and pulled it over them. There was just something about being under the covers that appealed to him.

Cha-Cha smiled deeply, leaning in to press a kiss against his chest as she closed her eyes. This was exactly what she wanted. Funny, how she always seemed to get her way with him. It was a power Cha-Cha was glad to have. "Love how this all worked out in my favour," she said softly with a grin, touching his foot with hers.

"Aren't men supposed to call the shots?" It wasn't fair. Of the two of them he should be the one to wear the pants in this relationship, right? Then again, it's common for men to be wrapped around their girls finger, and that, despite how much the tough detective in Ed resisted, was excactly what had happened here.

"Look at you, Mr. 1950s. Pretty conservative for somebody in bed with a drag queen," Cha-Cha pointed out with a smirk. It was funny, how he tried to deny it. But if she didn't have the upper hand, he wouldn't be snuggled up against her right then and there. Then again, she supposed he could be on top in _some_ things.

The morning after sex quite often gave Cha-Cha a dirty mind. Well, dirtier. 

"You win." He had no comeback for that one. Although at the moment she didn't have her flashy drag appearance on. She didn't have anything on, aside from pajama bottoms. And even they might not be lasting long...

Cha-Cha giggled, wrapping an arm around his waist and closing her eyes. If she didn't know herself better, she'd say she was ready to sleep again. Unfortunately she knew once she was up, she was up, provided it was after seven o clock that she was woken. Despite that though it was still nice to rest against him, her head near his heartbeat. "So how'd you score two days off in the week?" she had to ask.

The truth was boring. He searched for another answer. "I started crying and Lieu felt bad," he lied, positive she wouldn't believe him but said it anyway.

Cha-Cha cracked up at that mental image. Big, strong, tough guy Ed crying infront of his boss? "My poor baby," she choked out, grinning up at him. That probably wasn't what really happened but hell, it was now.

Ed sighed dramatically. "What I do for love," he teased. He could only imagine the ridicule in store if he'd actually tried that.

Cha-Cha's laughter trailed off a bit and she looked up at him. Did he just use the word she thought she'd heard? She tried to ignore it, it was probably just a slip of his tongue. Maybe. "Well I'm glad you did. I love when guys cry over me," she added with a smirk.

Ed could tell by her eyes she'd caught it. He didn't want it to appear like he'd only said that when it was clear she'd be sleeping with him. So a hint hint would have to do. And he was still in the process of falling, which no doubt would still be nice for her to hear, but in his opinion didn't have the same oomph.

"Anytime."

"Then I can make you feel better," Cha-Cha added with a grin. Inwardly she was relieved that he didn't comment on her ignoring his slip of the tongue. Or something like that. These things could be so complicated...relationships.

"It was very humiliating, I don't know how I lived through it," he teased, overdramatically sighing again. "I need all the help I can get to be back on my feet." He wrapped his arms around her and leaned in for a kiss.

Cha-Cha returned the kiss deeply, her hand moving up to rest on the back of his neck. "So you're gonna put me on my back?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Though clearly not objected to the idea.

Ed replied but his mouth was already back on hers, so it came out sounding like a foreign language. His hands danced along her back, happy to say it was now familar territory.

Cha-Cha did all she could not to giggle but returned the kiss eagerly, her eyes closing slowly. Yes, best Valentines Day ever. Best morning after Valentine's Day ever. That was alot of bests.

Ed's fingers slowly headed for the elastic of her pajama bottoms. The idea of having her all to himself for an entire day was unbelievable.  


* * *

_A/N: Join our roleplays? Mine or Operatics, both are fun. SEND OPERATIC FAN MAIL SHE IS AWESOME. _


	7. Relaxation

* * *

  


Cha-Cha was played by **OPERATIC. **Send her fan mail!

* * *

Relaxation

Cha-Cha had had a very lazy day, in that she had barely left her bed in the past twelve hours. Of course, she wasn't alone in her bed, but still.

Time did fly when you were having fun though, and before they knew it, it was nearly four-thirty. Sighing deeply, Cha-Cha closed her eyes. Eventually, they were going to have to get up, as unwelcome as that thought was. "Well..." she sighed again, looking at Ed slowly.

"Well?" Ed rolled over to face her better. He hadn't stayed in a bed this long in a while. It felt nice. No, great, actually. Relaxing was something he didn't do very often. Even on free days he was out in the city. Normally too tense thinking about a case to stay home without fidgeting.

"It's late," Cha-Cha replied with a smile, amused he hadn't noticed. She'd never seen him so relaxed before. It suited him, though. Unfortunately though, she couldn't stay in bed much longer. She'd go crazy in a few hours. "Do you think we should get up...eventually?" she asked.

"Do we have to?" he mumbled, turning his face into the pillow. She was probably right. They hadn't eaten anything all day and he was starving. After a moment he lifted his face up a bit to glance back at her.

"I know," Cha-Cha sighed, moving in closer to him. Maybe a little longer wouldn't hurt? It wasn't even five yet. She let her arms wrap around him as best she could, shrugging lightly. "But it has been awhile!"

He accepted her into his arms gladly. "You're right. It's just you wouldn't believe how long it's been since I could just lay here and do nothing..." He kissed whatever part of her he could reach. Alright, so they hadn't exactly been doing nothing.

Cha-Cha shivered, smiling lightly and leaning in to kiss him slowly. It would be very hard to leave that bed. But they couldn't stay all day. Already her legs were getting restless and she stretched them as best she could, doing her best not to kick him. It wasn't easy considering how close they were.

Ed pulled away after a moment. She'd got him with her leg, and smiling he said, "I can tell by your fidgeting you're ready to move." He rolled onto his back, pulling part of her with him accidentally. "Sorry," he laughed, untangling his arm from hers.

"Did I kick ya?" Cha-Cha asked with a small smile, and adjusted herself closer to him as he moved. It only made it easier for her to lean over and kiss him, something she found herself doing more and more often. She couldn't help it, he made her want to.

Ed kissed her back, grinning almost too much to do it properly. He held her face in his hands to allow himself to talk. "I thought we were getting up? This isn't making me want to leave the bed, you know."

"I know, but..." Cha-Cha shrugged, frowning lightly as his hands prevented her from kissing him anymore. But he was right, staying in bed all day seemed satisfying but lazy. "I know. This is fun but we should move eventually."

"Would moving to the couch qualify as getting up?" he asked jokingly. He still hadn't released her, enjoying her pout. He knew that when he did get up, though, he'd be heading for the fridge and not the couch.

"Mmm, the less comfy version of the bed? We might as well just stay here if that's where we're headed," Cha-Cha pointed out, leaning in to kiss his neck gently. She really wasn't making things much easier, but...

"True, but..." Her lips felt wonderful and it was very distracting. "What was I going to say?" he asked. Oh, right, "I'm hungry..." He didn't make a move to get up, but had felt that he should at least try to act like he wasn't lazy.

"Me too," Cha-Cha sighed, kissing him a few more times before giving it up. They hadn't eaten since...since before he came over. No wonder they were both starving. "Okay, fine. What do you want to do?" she asked, rolling off him.

"Lay here. But what I am going to do is search for food." He shifted to the edge of the bed, hand groping around the floor for any clothes within reach. Success! After standing up and dressing he stretched, a bit wobbly.

"Uh...let me think about that," Cha-Cha giggled nervously, trying to envision her fridge. It wasn't packed to be honest. Well it had things, but they weren't all recent. "Not sure how successful you'd be. Though I will gladly lie here," she added, bringing the blanket up closer to herself.

"I meant I wanted to lay there," he smiled, moving to the kitchen. "But go ahead, at least one of us is happy." He returned a minute later. "On second thought, I'll be right back." He hadn't located a shirt yet, but he only needed to be out for a few minutes. "I'll bring something down."

"Didn't find much, did you?" she asked with a laugh, bringing the blanket up closer to her chin. Cha-Cha wasn't the best grocery shopper. It was even worse now that she was on her own. "Do you want your shirt, or are you gonna give a show? I'm sure it's around somewhere," she added, doing her best to look without moving from her comfortable position.

"I'm just running upstairs." How many people could he run in to? "It'll take longer to find it than it will to be there and back." Which was probably an exaggeration, considering it had to be within throwing distance of the bed. More like dropping distance. Kicked under the bed from this morning? Or in the bed? So it was true, it probably would take longer to look for it. Out the door he went.

"Our poor neighbour friends. Well..." Cha-Cha thought on that one. "Poor neighbour people that I tolerate. They won't know what hit them," she giggled, wiggling her feet under the blanket. To be honest she couldn't think of too many people in the apartment she was all that fond of. Aside from Ed, who she could arguably say she was more than just fond of. Oh well though, they'd get...definitely a surprise.

He returned a few minutes later, successful in his quest for edible food. He'd thrown it all in a bag, and as he unloaded it onto her counter he smiled, apparently amused. "I hope you're in the mood for spaghetti," Ed said from the kitchen. "First thing I found."

"Just a sec," Cha-Cha had retrieved her pajama pants, as well as a shirt to go along with it. She'd miraculously forgotten his shirt, though. Well, he didn't need it. She had decided he didn't. "Sounds good to me. Run into anybody?" she had to ask.

His smile was growing to a smirk, and he handed her noodles as he answered. "Only one." Bag emptied, he looked around shortly before asking, "Pot?" Water needed to be boiled.

"Who??" Cha-Cha demanded, crouching down at her cupboard to get a pot. The steel was a little dented from being dropped, but it still worked fine. "Was there screaming or staring? Guess it depends on if it was a man or a woman..." she thought aloud, clearly amused.

"Did you hear any screaming?" he asked with a laugh. "Thank you," he said absently as he took the pot from her. "No it was the man a few down from you."

"Ooh so there was staring! That man has a thing for me," Cha-Cha informed him. If it was the man she was thinking of. But really, most men had a thing for Cha-Cha, or at least Cha-Cha thought they did.

"Well, who doesn't?" he teased. Turning on the sink he said, "Anyway, too young for me." His answer to almost everything. Age. As if he'd consider him at all. Not with the pretty drag queen he had.

"Really? Doesn't shower enough for me," Cha-Cha admitted with a wrinkled nose. Daily cleaning was very important to Cha-Cha. At least every other week. At least more than once a week. "But hey, I'm younger than him!"

"He looked clean enough to me," he commented, ignoring her outburst. Too, too easy. He moved to the stove.

"How close have you gotten?" Cha-Cha asked with a laugh, popping up to sit on the counter. Unfortunately she was in long cotton pants, making for a less fun image for him. She hadn't even left a bare chest.

With the water all set to boil, he turned around to take her in. She really hadn't left anything for him. He stepped over to her, and wrapped his arms around her waist lazily. It was strange having to look up to see into her eyes. "We bumped into each other." He found it funny that her neighbor had, in a manner of speaking, gotten his hands on Ed in a matter of seconds when it had taken Cha-Cha a few weeks.

"'Bumped into each other'. Like it was so by accident," Cha-Cha giggled to herself, letting her arms rest around his neck. She sort of liked feeling taller than him. He was such a big strong man, it made her feel important."I know he's got his eyes on my man. Who could blame him, but still."

"Speaking of eyes on people..." He stretched up to give her a quick kiss, momentarily worried he'd honestly have to jump. "What gives with all the clothes? I can't see anything." Going from everything to nothing was a small shock to his system.

"I just thought, since we're semi-normal people and everything, I should put some clothes on when I leave the bedroom?" Cha-Cha asked with a barely concealed grin. Well, he was normal, anyway. Which was surprising considering he was wearing less. "If I were naked right now, we'd starve."

"You wouldn't have to go that far," he grinned. "But a little something would be appreciated." He kissed her again, finding her height quite awkward.

"I dunno, Ed," Cha-Cha grinned, though already she was adjusting herself in his arms so his hands were just under her shirt. "I don't think I look good enough to justify walking around shirtless. I'm too modest," she had to bite the inside of her lip to get it out with a straight face.

"Oh of course." Ed's hands were soon rewarded with skin. Finally, a small victory. But if she was going to be that way, "I guess I should follow suit. Did you happen to see my shirt anywhere?"

"I did not," Cha-Cha replied semi-honestly. She may have seen it in her bedroom. But she was certainly not telling him that. "It's alright though. If you have to stay shirtless, I'll understand," she assured him, leaning in to kiss him before he could respond.

"Mhmm." Amazing, he still managed to sound sarcastic. He could hear the water boiling frantically, but it had to wait a minute. Ditching her for water probably wouldn't go over well.

Cha-Cha grinned, leaning in to kiss him again. Okay, she bent the truth a little and he didn't believe her at all. But pretty much any sane gay man or straight woman would lie. Ed Green without a shirt on wasn't an unwelcome image by ay stretch of the imagination. "Too bad you found your pants. I mean, at least you found your pants," she backtracked, her smile widening a bit.

That was it for Ed. Laughing to hard to continue he leaned back to glance at the stove top. Yes, the water needed noodles now. He moved to dump them in and was back to her in seconds, still shaking his head with an amused grin. Ed kissed her lips slowly. "I'm getting my shirt."

"But!" Cha-Cha protested. She had to think fast. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him again, deeper this time. Hopefully that was some incentive to stay with her and away from unneeded clothing. That made her sound like such a nudist, but hey, Ed brought something out in her.

Ed was trying to stop laughing again as he kissed her, succeeding eventually. She eying him for once? "Finally," he said, multitasking by breathing, kissing and talking at once. "The shoe's on the other foot." Being the one with the attention for once was a nice change.

"What do you mean?" Cha-Cha was smiling, adjusting herself on the counter so she could hold him closer more comfortably. And more securely. She meant it, that boy left, she would run. As shotty a runner as she was.

"Mmmm, nothing." Ed was leaning against the counter hard enough that, were he thinking properly, he'd worry about bruising his hips. One of her legs were on either side of him, and he ran a hand down both, then moved back up to wrap his arms around her waist.

Cha-Cha bit the inside of her lip. "You are not going anywhere and you are not getting anything," she decided, and carefully wrapped her legs around his waist. It wasn't exactly comfortable for her and it was more than suggestive, but she wasn't about to let him leave. "Sorry."

Ed's eyes sparkled as she moved around him. Stoves and water and noodles were foreign to him. "Yes ma'am." The detective was close to just climbing up there with her. He'd done stranger things. Don't ask. But that didn't change the fact she was still wearing too much, and she had much more skin to play with than he did. His hands ventured under her shirt once more.

Cha-Cha soon realized the flaw in her plans. This gave him way too much lead. She was wrapped around him, but his hands could go pretty much anywhere. On second though, Cha-Cha didn't mind so much. "Enjoying yourself there?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mhmm." The downside for Ed in this matter was that unless she leaned down, his lips couldn't reach much of anything. Her chest would have been a perfect target, but that damn shirt was in the way.

"You alright?" Cha-Cha asked with a grin. Her legs were tight enough around him that she could move her hands to his shoulders, rubbing them gently. Okay, he didn't get all the lead. She simply wouldn't allow it. But some of it, sometimes...that was okay.

"Yeah. Except you're not supposed to be taller than me."

A thought suddenly struck Ed. He swallowed a laugh quickly, only one telling sound escaping. Having her lips back was more important. Meanwhile, the pot on the stove was making some rather scary sounds.

"What was that?" Cha-Cha raised her eyebrow again, trailing her hands down past his shoulders. She sort of liked being taller than him, though. He was such a big tough detective, it made her feel important. The stove was somewhere a couple planets away to her, she wasn't paying it any mind.

"What was what?" he asked. It took more effort to patiently wait for her to answer than one can describe. And he was still starving, but that was being interpreted more like an ache for her against him. Which was much more rewarding.

"That giggle," Cha-Cha replied, squeezing her legs around his waist momentarily. She picked her words carefully. Because we all knew big strong men didn't 'giggle'. So the fact that he did was all the more amusing to her.

Ed stood up straighter. "I didn't giggle," he said automatically. Then he remembered. "I just found it funny that you thought you being undressed would make us go hungry, and yet here we are. You're clothed, I'm starved, and I'm still unable to resist you." Would honesty get her shirt off at least?

"Okay, baby," Cha-Cha giggled to herself. Oh, he giggled. Whether he'd ever admit it or not, she knew the truth. At his comment, she paused. She was definitely clothed, and he was definitely almost on top of her. Well damn. "I guess you're right. Should I put more clothes on?" she suggested with a barely concealed grin, having a pretty good idea of what his answer would be.

"Don't you dare," he laughed. "That's exactly the opposite of what I want and you know it." He pulled his arms in to cross over his chest. "Do we want dinner or not? Because if we leave that pot alone for much longer-" he glanced over to it "-I'm afraid of what will happen."

"Awful forward now, aren't we?" Cha-Cha teased. Sighing, she knew she'd have to take her legs off him sometime. But would he abuse his freedom? "Okay, here's the deal. You stay shirtless, I stay shirtless?" she bargained, reluctantly unhooking her legs.

"Agreed." This would be different. Normally he had her legs to admire.

When he was released he went to work on dinner. He almost killed himself numerous times. He wasn't giving his complete attention to what he was doing.

Cha-Cha grinned to herself, lifting the tank top up and off her head. It was a small price to pay to get what she wanted in the end. "Please try not to burn the building down," she reminded him with a grin.

He rolled his eyes. "I am not going to burn the building down."

He had learned by now she had no problem showing off her legs. However, she hardly ever gave up her shirt without a fight, and he wondered if there was something behind it. Like usual, he thought about it later and not at the time. He was too busy enjoying the rare view. But it occurred to him a woman wouldn't walk around without a shirt, normally anyway, and maybe she followed that way of thinking. Or if the fact she could was a reminder she wasn't a woman physically? His analytical detective habits sometimes kicked in during off hours, used to reading between the lines and anticipating reasons. He honestly wouldn't be surprised if she'd just been cold. But that questioning was always there.

"You might if you're distracted..." Cha-Cha sang under her breath, crossing her legs. She supposed she couldn't really blame him if he was. She wouldn't want it to be her trying to cook with a hot stove at the moment, with his shirtless self on her counter. That would be a disaster waiting to happen. It wasn't like she was amazing in the kitchen to begin with, she wouldn't want to be staring at him while she did it.

Ed found a way to do it. Don't face her. Less distracting, but less enjoyable as well. Finally he finished, after much too long of staring only at boring noodles and pasta sauce.

"Done. And the building is still standing." He smiled, accomplished.

"Lucky man," Cha-Cha giggled, popping off the counter to kiss his cheek quickly. She didn't mention she'd apparently taken off her shirt for nothing. If he stared too long at anything else she could see it being a risk.

Now that he had successfully made dinner without killing himself or setting her apartment on fire, he set two plates, which he had found eventually himself, down quickly on the table. He faced her, happy he could take her in fully. His eyes traveled over her slowly and hungrily, then returned to her eyes.

Cha-Cha just grinned at the way he was looking at her. About time she got a little attention, she was starting to get self-conscious. Then again, Ed had proved he had no problem whatsoever with her body the night before. And for the better part of the day. And possibly later on. Her grin deepened and she leaned in to kiss him gently, placing a hand on his cheek.

Ed smiled against her lips. "You ready to eat?" he asked. He waited a moment before moving. He was starving, but...she was right there...he was torn. He pulled out a chair that was nearest the one in front of her, the changed his mind and went to the next one. The chair across the table from her which allowed him to see her better.

"I guess," Cha-Cha sighed softly, bringing her hand off and moving to sit down. Later, later, she told herself. After dinner. At least the spaghetti was unburned, and probably better than anything that had ever been made on that stove. Not that that stove was especially active anyway. Cha-Cha was not a cook. "You are a brave man though, working on that stove shirtless," she pointed out with a laugh. Not something she'd ever attempt.

"Well you said you never found it, remember?" He hadn't believed her, but he could still make it because of her. And there was no point in searching for it and putting it on. It would probably be coming off later anyway. Was this all he had in mind now? You bet.

"I did not," Cha-Cha replied, scratching her nose quickly. The disappearing shirt. It was probably right where he left it, right in the middle of the floor. But...it could just stay disappeared for a good while longer. Her thoughts were going in the same general direction as his was. While she didn't exactly have a pure mind, it was funny how...inspiring Ed was.

Ed had been hungry for nearly two hours, so the food went fast. Although he had a second motivation to finish quickly. "So I had no choice in the matter."

"You absolutely didn't," Cha-Cha replied honestly with a grin. He wouldn't have had a choice even if the shirt was in his hands. She would simply be forced to take it off him.

On second thought, she should have given him the shirt.

Ed had tried not to obviously wolf it down. He assumed he failed miserably. The couch was calling their name, the bed was practically screaming, and he still hadn't gotten used to seeing her chest. He didn't think it would ever get old, really.

"You must be hungry," Cha-Cha commented as casually as possible. Of course, she didn't mention what he was hungry for. Well food, she really couldn't blame him for. It had been awhile and she was starving herself. But it was clear they both had something else on their minds that would distract them from eating. The thing that was still on her mind that very moment. Apparently, a seal had been broken.

"Do you even remember the last time we ate?" he asked. Had they actually had breakfast? It didn't feel like they had. "And have you taken more than three bites?"

Two could play at that game. Ed got seconds. He matched her movements. Bite for bite, laughing slightly at the absurdity but anticipating a successful outcome. One of them would crack eventually.

Cha-Cha rose her eyebrows as she watched him. "Are you copying me?" she asked, trying not to laugh. She hadn't been copied in years. It was sort of funny, watching him. Ed Green just couldn't convince her he was a big, tough detective man. In fact, she wasn't even sure he was trying anymore.

"No," he said, intentionally unconvincing. He knew he wasn't coming off anything except immature, but he continued anyway. Ed never had the chance to do anything silly at the precinct, or he'd never hear the end of it.

"Yes you are! Yes you are!" Cha-Cha exclaimed through a laugh. It was a wonderful thing to be copied, though. It was easy to hear the things you wanted to hear. "If only Lou could see you now. Crying and copying," she shook her head. She meant Lieu, but she didn't know that.

Ed shook his head as well, intent on copying her to the point of annoyance. So he could follow her elsewhere when she got up. Or, she got bored. Whatever came first. If he himself didn't get fed up and pounce on her right there...

"If Lieu saw me now, she probably wouldn't know if she wanted to laugh or shoot me," he said, rolling his eyes at his absent boss. "Although she isn't entirely against fun," Ed admitted. "As long as it was her idea."

"Isn't Lou a boy's name?" Cha-Cha asked with a laugh. Then again, Cha-Cha wasn't generally used for either a boy or a girl, so who was she to talk? She was still trying to come up with things she could make him do; he wasn't copying her speech otherwise it would be easy. With a sigh she adjusted one of the rings on her fingers quickly.

It wasn't the same finger, but he did have a ring. Shifting it around absently he answered, "Lieu's just short for Lieutenant. Her name's Anita Van Buren." Ed thought it wise to avoid repeating what she said. Who knows what she'd make him say.

Damn. Foiled. Cha-Cha hadn't noticed his ring, and it ruined her jewellery plan. She didn't even have a wig on to curl hair around her finger. It was back to first base. "She seems nice. Minus the whole shooting of Ed Green bit," she giggled, returning to eating her food and watching him while she did.

"She's hard to get along with at first, but, once you get to know her, Lieu's like a second mother." He paused. "An angry mother with a gun. Kind of scary, now that I think about it." He was very grateful his biological mother never had one. "She's protective when it comes to her detectives, especially the younger ones. Which, shockingly," he laughed, "I would be considered."

"That's terrifying!" Cha-Cha replied with wide eyes. But he didn't seem to phased, so she figured it was alright. When someoe walked around with a gun as much as he did, she supposed it became like second nature or something. How a gun could be second nature was beyond her, but then again she didn't see them very often. And they were never on her side. "Are you really? So who's the oldest detective there that you know?" she asked, obviously surprised. Thirty eight wasn't ancient she knew, but she figured it would at least be in the medium. That was almost forty, which was almost half a hundred.

"That would be Lennie," he guessed. "He's near retiring, he keeps talking about it. I'd hate to see him go, but, he really can't chase people like he used too. Maybe if he was just asking the questions..." He tried to imagine that. "Nah, never know when you have to sprint down a flight of stairs."

"Do you have to chase people alot?" Cha-Cha asked with wide eyes. It was strange, but it hadn't occurred to her what an exciting job he had before. He was more than just Ed Green...he was like a hero in the movies. In some strange way. Somewhere in her mind it was flashing how dangerous it must've been too, but she tried not to focus too hard on that one.

"Everyone always tries to get away," he said, rolling his eyes. "They never realize we've got the block surrounded. But occasionally they break through, and there we go after'em. There are exceptions though, to the blocking off thing. Sometimes it's not even a suspect we're chasing, so we don't have the extra help. Just someone we have a few questions for who feels like climbing out a window..."

"So you just jump out the window after him?" Cha-Cha asked with wide eyes. She didn't care what her job was, what the guy did, that would take alot out of her. But it seemed like he could do it without a second thought. "Why? I mean, why did you want to be a detective?" she asked. It wasn't something she could ever do, or would ever do willingly.

Ed laughed at her reaction. Ducking out windows and racing down fire escapes were normal to him now.

Why? "I wish I could blame it on some desire to save the world," he said with a half grin. "But it all started because it was the last thing my parents wanted me to do."

"Rebel! I think I like you," Cha-Cha decided with a giggle. It wasn't totally noble or anything, but somehow she preferred it. Many people would fish out the 'desire to do good' reason, but how many actually honestly truly believed it? Cha-Cha just didn't think there were that many honestly good people in the world. Or maybe she just believed that to feel better about herself.

"Luckily it ended up being something I enjoy. Putting criminals away, not dealing with murders," he explained. Even with his experience, he still couldn't look at some of the victims without wincing and glancing away. When he could look into the face of a homicide victim and not flinch, it would be time to retire. Like Lennie was leaving. "But," Ed continued, "looking beyond the rebellion part, I do like to think the little Lennie and I do makes a difference."

"Why were they so against it? Your parents," Cha-Cha asked. Being a detective seemed like a respectable job. It helped people, it made good money, what was the big deal? Besides it being horrendously dangerous. But Cha-Cha was sure he was careful (or at least, he was if he knew what was good for him. Cha-Cha was a shrimp, but liked to think she was a force to be reckoned with when she was scared). It was definitely a job she'd be proud to say her kid was...if she were even slightly interested in ever being a parent. Which she was not in the slightest.

"My father was an oil engineer, and expected me to do that too. Or be one of the few members of our family to get a college degree. And I did, but not in anything he was interested in. My mom thought it was dangerous..." And it was. But that's what Lennie and guns were for, right?

"Both good reasons. Well...maybe not your dad's," Cha-Cha admitted. What was it with parents and having their children follow their footsteps? She wouldn't be at all offended if her son didn't want to put on a dress and sing Madonna. But if she'd done what her father did, richer she might be, but one could never find a good foundation that could stand up to life in a factory. That idea was out.

"I'm happy where I ended up, whether or not they are." He took a bite of his dinner without waiting for her to do so. When he realized that he didn't wait for her to move, he also realized he'd had a point in watching her. He was supposed to be annoying her away from the kitchen and over to...anywhere else. Conversation dropped from his list of things to do.

The copying game wasn't on Cha-Cha's mind anymore, and she barely noticed when he broke it. Her spaghetti was almost done with, but she wasn't really feeling it anymore anyways. "Do you still talk to them?" she asked, oblivious to any wish he had to leave the table. He seemed like such a stable person, it seemed odd that he'd have trouble with his parents. Someone like her she could understand, it didn't surprise her when girls from her own community complained about their families. Or worse; didn't talk about them at all and kept them out of their lives. Cha-Cha herself wasn't exactly bouncing to talk about her parents. But it just seemed odd to her, that it happened to normal people too. People with careers and cars and lives.

"Yeah. Not as much as I should. I get along with my mother better." Hardly, but, still better. "My dad still expects me to bring a girlfriend home for holidays." He assumed she knew that Cha-Cha wasn't the type of girlfriend he meant. "Mom's always been willing to at least meet the men I've brought home," he said, more of a mumble to himself than to her.

"So they know you're gay," Cha-Cha said softly. She wasn't meaning to pry or anything, or upset him. Part of her realized she should probably stop, but at the same time, she felt like she was getting to know him. Though at the moment all she knew was she felt like hugging him. "Did they know Starr?" she wondered. If they dated for a year, they must've gotten some word of it. If they talked at all.

She wasn't upsetting him exactly. If he had any way to know she was worried about that, he'd tell her so. He just got annoyed with his parents easily, and a weird vibe often hovered around him.

Starr. Ed almost laughed aloud. He definitely grinned, but it was a grin mixed with a touch of an unknown emotion. "Introducing her to dad was an experience I'll never forget." He could still see his dads face. "He looked so...relieved. For about ten seconds." Once his father realized it wasn't exactly a woman beneath the skirt, well, that didn't go well.

Cha-Cha's forehead wrinkled slightly at his answer (and she couldn't help but think with a grimace how beautiful Starr must have been, if she could pass so easily. But it was neither the time nor place to get jealous of that). "Do you wanna stop talking about this?" she asked softly. It was fine with her if he was. She was pretty much done her pasta, and suddenly all she wanted to do was curl up with him for awhile. She couldn't help it, he seemed so sad. Well, maybe not sad, but it was depressing anyway.

Ed actually didn't mind as much as it was coming off. He'd tried to laugh about Starr tricking his father, he had wanted to, but he couldn't get it out at the moment. He'd already jumped ahead to being angry at what had come after that.

"Not if you really want to know," he replied. Next month was March. Easter. Ed would be going home for the weekend, the normal routine and often times only time aside from Christmas he went back. He planned on inviting her to come along, and hearing this would probably help her decide if she'd want to go or stay with her girls. He wouldn't blame her if she'd rather spend it with Rusty. Ed would too.

He stretched a little, adding, "I would like to move to the couch or something, though." Kitchen chairs were only comfortable for so long.

Cha-Cha nodded her head, standing up and taking his plate. "Honestly honey, I don't even know why I'm asking," she told him, dropping them into the sink. Either way though, she was glad they were done. It wasn't that she was overly perceptive, but she didn't want to make him feel bad. Or maybe it was just that she could relate so easily.

He appreciated her caring enough to ask. And was surprised she'd mention Starr.

"For the record," he began, trying to show that he had seen the humor in his fathers mistake, "my dad's face had been priceless." Ed followed her to the sink. "All hell broke loose, but, for a minute it was actually pretty funny." Before she could turn he wrapped his arms around her, happily enjoying the feeling of his skin against hers. As for the conversations topic, if she was done, he was done. If she had a question, he'd answer.

A smile came to Cha-Cha's face almost instantly as he hugged her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck in return. He was laughing. Laughter was good. He couldn't feel too too bad if he could smile like that. "I can imagine," she laughed softly. "You okay?"

Ed gave her a light squeeze around her middle. "Yeah. And, with that out of the way...couch...?" Dinner had taken longer than expected.

Cha-Cha nodded her head, moving her arms down to grasp his hand in hers. If she thought of another question, it could wait for another day. At the moment all she wanted to do was sit around in his arms and think of absolutely nothing important. Leading him towards the couch she plopped down, patting the spot beside her. She'd left him his corner.

Sitting around wasn't exactly what Ed had in mind, but he did his best to control himself. He fell into his corner and pulled her over. He let his hands wander around but kept it snuggle worthy. She wasn't as enthusiastic as before, but after that conversation, he didn't blame her for being more mellow than normal. He, on the other hand, could switch gears fast.

Cha-Cha shifted herself so she could lean against him as best she could. Her arms ended up around his middle, the rest of her fidgeting a bit every so often in an attempt to get comfortable. The couch was no comparison to the bed, but the bed often led to other things that she wasn't sure he was up to right at the moment. Maybe later on. "Remember that time we slept together on this?" she asked with a short giggle, forgetting it had only been a few weeks ago.

"And the floor is so much better? Stiff back," Cha-Cha reminded him. "I sort of like the arrangement we had going last night, to be honest," she added with a smirk, knowing he did too. Or at least, hoping he did too. It would be a little weird if he hadn't.

"Definitely the preferred spot," he agreed. "But if for some reason we absolutely couldn't leave this room, you can have the couch to yourself. I'll take my chances with the floor."

"But then I'd be cold and pillowless!" Cha-Cha whined. That was tough. Sleep alone on the couch or break her back (not to mention get all dirty) on the floor. "Why can't we get into my bedroom anyway? What could possibly prevent us from walking a few extra feet?" she asked, putting way too much thought into this.

"I don't know! Um, my partner was in the area and needed somewhere to stay. And he happened to show up here, and you being the kind hostess you are offered him the bedroom." The fact that would mean Lennie saw them was irrelevant.

"Why the heck is he here? I don't even know him!" Cha-Cha asked with a laugh. "Plus I'm your drag queen lover who he's not supposed to know about, plus plus, kind hostess? Who do you have me confused with?" she was laughing harder now, her body shifting up a bit so she could look at him better.

"I don't know!" Ed laughed. "I...told him where you lived? No I wouldn't do that...well he's a detective, he could find you. Someone from the building suggested he look here?" He was trying hard to make this hypothetical situation work. "And what do you mean who do I have you confused with? I can't see you throwing him out, he's an cute little old guy!" Not exactly true, but, she hadn't seen him.

"Wait, what? Ed, that is so stalkerish!" Cha-Cha squeaked with wide eyes. Could the detectives really find her if they wanted to? She supposed so, it was one of the perks. She didn't like that. That made her very very uneasy. "New York's worst criminals are set up against some eighty five year old? I feel so safe," she teased.

"Lennie isn't that old, and I was just kidding," he said. "If they don't have a reason, no one will come looking for you." Ed gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, adding, "And you can always call my cell phone if you think Lennie is outside."

Again Cha-Cha was holding in a laugh. "You make him sound like the boogeyman or something," she couldn't stop her giggles despite the fist against her lips. Suddenly she just had this image of a zombie lurking around outside her door. Zombie Detective. Sadly enough, Cha-Cha was pretty sure she had that movie.

"There's no winning with you, no matter what I say," he laughed. Ed absently danced his fingers down her arm, trying to come up with something to say.

"I could let you win sometimes," Cha-Cha giggled lightly, leaning in to kiss his jawbone gently. "I'm sure there's a lot we can agree on," she added. Then she started thinking on that one. And thinking and thinking. "I'll let you know when I come up with one."

"I agree with where that was going," he said, referring to her lips against his skin. He tugged her closer so she could move up a bit, putting her at the perfect height for him to kiss her.

Cha-Cha grinned, kissing up to his mouth. She figured he would. There was no chance to say it though, or tease him, or anything. That was alright though, she'd rather kiss him than be a smart ass. She was fidgeting again, trying to get against him more comfortably. This would be easier in, oh she didn't know...a bed maybe.

Ed spoke between breaths, asking, "What's with...the...wiggling?" He was afraid she'd fall off if she kept it up, so one hand help her hip, keeping her close.

"Just trying to stay close," Cha-Cha replied, bringing a hand up to rest against his chest instead. "While not falling off. It's not easy," she admitted, thinking about it. What if he lay down and they went from there? It was all very complicated.

"What if we just intentionally fall off?" he asked. "The floor is bigger." Ed shifted to get one leg on the couch so he was partially laying down, hoping that would help.

"You just have a thing for the floor, don't you?" Cha-Cha asked with a laugh, shifting closer to him if it was at all possible. "What if I get a back pain from cuddling-and-possibly-more on my apartment floor? I'll have to hold you liable," she pointed out, and poked his chest for added effect. And just because it was there and bare and she wanted to.

"No, I just don't want you falling off and hurting yourself." After he listened to her protest further, he laughed. "Fine, I give up. To save myself from a lawsuit, we'll just sit here carefully." And with that, he picked her upper torso up momentarily to move himself back to an upright sitting position, then removed his hands, crossing his arms.

Cha-Cha watched with a sense of loss as he moved, and she was sure it turned up on her face. It left her with two options. She could play it cool and put her shirt on, really tease him. Or, she could be direct and do exactly what she wanted to.

"Eddie," she whined, going for the latter and climbing into his lap.

Ed smirked. Exactly what he had been waiting for. She was in the perfect holding position, and he quickly had his arms around her. No need to worry about falling off, he had no intention of loosening his grip any time soon.

"I just played right into your hands, didn't I?" Cha-Cha asked after a second, though obviously not too concerned by that. It just so happened that what he wanted was exactly what she did, too. What was bad about that? His arms arond her were always welcome, whether she was in his lap, they were both on the couch, what have you.

"Yep," he smiled. Both figuratively and literally. He was happy to not be the one to fall for something again. He was getting better at this, and he was proud. And a bit smug. Is this how she felt all the time? Amazing.

"Lucky, lucky," Cha-Cha grinned, leaning down to kiss his smirking lips. Alright, he could win sometimes. It was only fair. Wrapping her arms around him, she shifted a bit in his lap to get closer. "See? You win sometimes. I'm not all-powerful," she assured him.

But she was sure close, he thought with a sigh. He savored his small triumph.

Sitting they way they were, it was hard to do anything aside from hold each other and cuddle. While Ed had a bit more in mind, he could control himself. If he had to, that is. If she felt like a conversation, he was up for it. His parents talk had been in the back of his mind since they'd ended it. He was curious about hers. She'd never mentioned her family.

However, if Cha-Cha felt more inclined to leave the old couch cushions for a soft mattress...he wasn't going to protest.

Cha-Cha shifted a bit more in his lap, sighing softly. She couldn't sit still for especially long periods of time as it was, she got restless. It could be very annoying at times, and she stretched her legs out, hoping to ease it a bit. "So how should we spend the rest of the..." she tilted over to catch a glimpse of the clock. "...evening." No wonder she was bouncy, they'd spent literally an entire day in bed or close to it.

"Quality bonding time?" he suggested. He realized that could imply several things, and he grinned, but really meant talking. For now, anyway.

"Apparently so," Cha-Cha giggled, cuddling in close and determined to make that the last fidget. Of course she doubted that would happen, but she was gonna try. "I have to say I'm proud of us, though. I didn't think we'd be fully clothed at six o clock tonight..." she paused. "Well, mostly fully clothed."

"But how long will it last?" he asked jokingly. Not all night, if he had any say in things. After a moment or two he asked, "Do we feel like talking, or just relaxing?" More like resting up for a long night...

"Jumping ahead, aren't we?" Cha-Cha teased. Yes, a seal had definitely been broken. She couldn't help but notice it was affecting him, too. "Talk about what? Should we get words in when we can?" she added with a smirk, leaning in to kiss him again lightly.

"Dunno," he shrugged, searching for something. "What's your family like? You got a brief idea of mine..." Ugh. Hopefully his father wouldn't scare her off if she ever met him.

"My family?" Cha-Cha repeated, sighing softly. It was only fair he heard about her's too. As unpleasant as some of it was. "I don't see them that often. I mean, my brother I talk to pretty often. But my parents..." she sighed. In a way it was the same situation as his, with the roles reversed. "My dad is alright with the fact I'm gay, the drag put him off. I haven't talked to my mother, like actually talked to her, in years," she figured it was easier to just tell him than to beat around the bush about it. He told her his.

"I was wondering how drag had gone over," he said honestly. So they each had a parent who was relatively supportive, and one...not so much. My mom and your dad should get together, he thought sarcastically. One big happy.

"It...I had it better than some girls did," Cha-Cha admitted. At least she had one supportive parent. At least she hadn't been kicked out. At least no violence had been involved. But in some way she could argue that being kicked out would've been easier; staying at home meant she had to face the fact every day that her mother was ashamed. "My dad tried to be kind about it, I remember her called me pretty, though his face said otherwise," she grinned lightly, biting her lip. "Just my mom who wouldn't budge."

The fact 'pretty' had even been said was very impressive to Ed. "Well for what it's worth, I think you're gorgeous." Ed's eyes grinned in a playful way, but he meant it.

Cha-Cha smiled to herself. People had said that to her a million times over, it had lost it's meaning to be honest. But somehow he made it new again and she looked down. "You're gonna make me blush," she admitted, the smile easy to hear in her voice.

"Good. You're cute when you blush." If the criminals he'd harassed during interrogations could hear him now... Getting back on topic, he asked, "Where does your family live? Close to New York?"

Cha-Cha's blush deepened. "Just outside the state. My brother Javier lives in the city," she told him, shifting in his lap. Things were getting too heavy and not enough...romance...y. Or whatever that word was.

"You have a brother?" he asked, surprised. He didn't know why he was so surprised, she didn't give off that annoying only child vibe. But he couldn't imagine what the brother of Cha-Cha would look like. Or be like. Similar to her or completely the opposite?

"I do. What's so weird about that?" Cha-Cha asked with a tilt of her head. Okay, she wasn't the most manly of men out there. Any brother or hers would be interesting to say the least. He seemed so surprised though! Despite common belief, it was possible for Cha-Cha to just be friends with a male. As long as they were related.

"Eh-nothing." It was completely normal to have siblings. He just had a little trouble imagining that. "Where's he?"

"More uptown. He's a nurse," Cha-Cha replied with a grin. It was great in a way. Even the straight brother was doing something that would be perceived as girly. Not that her parents minded too much; he was always the smart one so they were just glad he was doing something worthwhile. They didn't know what Cha-Cha did for a living.

He tried to hide a smile. Ed too found a slight humor in that, but he wasn't brave enough to comment. "Which hospital?" he asked to keep her attention off him. "I'm in and out of them a lot." Lots of witnesses tended to get shot, and suspects injured during a chase. Well, once the wrong detective caught up to him. But Ed had only blown up on a few people, and, in his opinion, with good reason.

"St. Michaels. He doesn't look all that much like me. Tall guy, not as tall as you but tall to me," Cha-Cha told him. Really they couldn't be more unalike. But Javier was really the person in her family she liked most. "Do you have siblings?"

"An older sister," he answered. "In Virginia with our parents." Ed had a better career going for him, but his sister was straight. In other words, the favorite, and unwilling to drift too far from mommy and daddy.

"Virginia!" Cha-Cha repeated in surprise. That was a far way to come. For some reason she'd expected him to be a New Yorker all his life. "I didn't know you was Southern," she added, doing her best to use her own Southern accent. Albeit, a very bad Southern accent. But you had to give her points for trying.

"Well, we went all over the place when I was growing up, but they seemed to hang around the southern states when we were in the US." Ed never let the drawl get ahold of his speech. "I went north and stayed put. Moving gets old after a while."

"I can imagine," Cha-Cha replied. She hadn't had to move too much in her life, and she was glad of it. That would mess her up so much. "Why New York then? You'd think you'd want somewhere calmer, since your life was so crazy before..." she asked, letting the topic trail off her own family.

"I dunno. When I thought 'Hey I'll be a cop and piss dad off' New York was the first place I thought of. And...well, to every other state, the grass is greener in New York." He found that was true in several of the schools he'd been to as a kid. Anyone who wanted to go places and be somebody dreamed of moving to New York City. Well, he did move there, and he had to admit he wasn't as impressed as he imagined he'd be.

"I guess I looked up to New York before I came here," Cha-Cha thought back. It had seemed so glamorous; beautiful people everywhere and bright lights. Not so much in her part of town. And it could make you feel so small and insignificant, really. On a regular day.

He nodded. "The whole country wants to move here, and half of New York wants to move out. It's ridiculous." Well, maybe not half. But who's counting? "But I like it here more than most places I've been. Detroit was interesting, but...too small."

"Plus there's nowhere to tie up your alligator! Rip off," Cha-Cha added with a giggle. No, she was not going to forget that. How could you forget something like that? That was probably the point of putting 'alligator', so it would stick in your mind. But still...an alligator!

Ed laughed and gave her a squeeze around the middle. "That was the deciding factor," he teased. "I can't remember what I was doing over there, I was just visiting for some reason, but aside from being minuscule compared to NYC, no alligators."

"That's depressing," Cha-Cha fake sighed though her smile broke the illusion. It was good to laugh. Somehow they had gotten on a series of heavy topics; or heavy-ish, at least. It was refreshing to talk about Detroit. Silly silly Detroit. "I'll stay in New York with you though, after half the city leaves. It's really not so bad aside from the pigeons. There isn't really anywhere else like it, at least."

"And with half the city gone, twice the privacy." He kissed her, his smile refusing to budge making it harder than it should have been. He wondered what was wrong with pigeons. He found watching them during lunch breaks quite amusing.

"I like that," Cha-Cha grinned, returning the kiss slowly. One thing couldn't get past the censors in her mind though. "Except for the whole I Am Legend thing. Cept instead of zombies, it's rats..." she bit her lip, fighting back a shudder. Even with Ed armed, with all the city gone, who knew what would wanna come up out of the sewers. She tried really hard not to think about it.

Ed leaned back, studying her with an amused yet very confused look. "How does that even cross your mind?" he asked. "You and me alone in New York equals zombies?"

"My teachers always said I have a very special brain," Cha-Cha replied with a proud smile. The not-so-positive connotations behind that were apparently lost on her. "Fine, we could also run through the streets naked if we wanted to, but we'd have to have about ten guns in our purses."

"Our purses?" One might assume the running through the city naked would be what he protested first, but no, the thought of carrying a purse in public overwhelmed the detective.

"Fine, fine. My purse, your briefcase. Or whatever big tough detectives carry," Cha-Cha rolled her eyes playfully. Though really, if they were alone in the city, who would be around to care anyway? Ed could carry whatever he wanted to. Or wear. She did her best to backtrack that, it was not a good thing to get ideas like that. She figured she was pushing Ed enough, drag would not only push him away, it would be very very frightening.

"Thank you." Ed relaxed into the back cushions of the couch. He yawned slightly, but wasn't tired, just comfortable. It came out more of a content sigh than a yawn, really. He ran a hand lazily down her leg and back, trying to think of a topic that could beat zombies and briefcases.

It wasn't quite a moan, but Cha-Cha couldn't stop a small, happy noise from accompanying her sigh. What could she say? She was too comfortable not to. "I like this," she said quietly, resting against him as best she could. It wasn't often she did this sort of thing, just sitting with a man who, she was relatively sure, had no ulterior motive. Well, not an immediate ulterior motive (and not really an unwelcome ulterior motive). Then again, finding a man she could do it with was a task itself.

Honestly Ed could think a few other ways he'd like to be spending time, but he had to keep his girl happy. "Mhmm." His finger was tracing the pattern on her pajama pants now. It was surprisingly entertaining.

Cha-Cha shivered and squirmed, moving up to kiss his neck slowly. That was the only problem, now Ed was learning her weak spots. She was losing her upper hand and what was worse, it was so hard to notice and to care when she was losing it. Her mind was on other things.

Ed ran out of lines to trace soon, so his fingers danced up her chest. "Are we taking a break from talking?" he asked with a chuckle.

Apparently so, because Cha-Cha's mouth was way too busy to talk at the moment. She trailed her kisses up to his mouth, her arms wrapping tighter around him as she shifted closer. Okay, it had been less than twenty four hours. How did he know exactly what he was doing already?? It wasn't fair.

It was simple. Ed was trained to be quick at noticing the slightest reaction of witnesses. Why not apply that training to the bedroom as well? He remembered what he had to do to get which reaction from her.

Cha-Cha stifled a moan, breaking the kiss slowly. She wasn't as well trained as he was. She still had no idea what to do to make him tick, and he wasn't making it too awfully easy for her to concentrate. "Baby...you are ridiculous," she got out, unsure of what to say to him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked with a laugh. He didn't know this was any competition. And she didn't have to try to make him want her, he'd been itching to get his hands on her since... well the feeling hadn't quite gone away at all that day.

"You're just...amazing," Cha-Cha tried again. Though she didn't say so, she wasn't talking exclusively about his ability to turn her on. She leaned in to kiss him again, though this time it was a bit softer.

Ed had always had a strong urge to come to her apartment every evening, but now that'd he'd spent over twenty four hours with her it seemed impossible to leave. He would simply have to quit his job and sit on this couch forever.

Well, maybe that was impossible too. He didn't let the kisses stay soft for long. Without a word Ed laid themselves down as best he could, hard since he was starting with her in his lap. After a moment he reconsidered this, because having issues with the couch was what had led to giving up and talking. He lifted his head to look down the hall to the bedroom, then back at her. How to get from point A to point B...

Cha-Cha followed Ed's eyes, biting back a smirk. Well, he'd be getting no complaints from her. Wait, wasn't that him getting upper hand again? A moment before they'd been snuggly and calm, now she couldn't wait to get where they were going. Her head would probably explode if things didn't progress further. Damn, he was good.

"I dunno, baby, I just got comfortable," Cha-Cha told him, shifting into the cushions and wrapping her arms around his neck. Alright, she wasn't denying him exactly, but she wasn't planning on walking there with her own feet. She had to have some semblane of control over the situation. At least a little bit. "I could honestly fall asleep right here."

Ed groaned. Seriously? He'd missed her smirk, and was now on the brink of threatening to pick her up and carry her there if he had to. Then realized that would probably be considered less of a threat and more of welcome idea. Well, fine, he could handle that. He'd had to have moved heavier victims out of danger, she would be no problem. Buf if he was going to have to do that, she was going to have to wait a minute.

"Go ahead and try." He kissed her neck, but instead of moving up to her mouth like he normally did, he went down to her collarbone, hovered a moment, then went an inch or two lower.

Cha-Cha did all she could not to moan, biting down on her lip hard enough to cause pain. Still she couldn't prevent a small sound from escaping her, somewhere between a gasp and his name. If she could get words out at this point, she'd probably comment on how, for someone who's job was to protect the community, he sure was evil. Unfortunately no words were going to make it out. Nothing half-way sensible, anyway. Alright...so she was powerless. Was that really the worst thing in the world? If this was how he was going to use his upper hand, maybe it was a good idea to let him lead sometimes.

Ed grinned and sat up, pleased with her reaction. "You know you don't really look like you're ready to sleep." She appeared wide awake to him, and he smirked lightly.

Cha-Cha swallowed hard, keeping her eyes closed. He was evil. There was no two ways about it. And what was worse was that she was pretty sure it was intentional. "Well that's your opinion," she argued, even though she wasn't fooling anybody. She had half a mind to pull him right back down.

Before she could, he stood and moved in front of her, negotiating his arms around her to pick her up. With laughing eyes he made for the bedroom, saying, "If you're so tired, I'll give you a hand getting to bed."

Cha-Cha tried not to laugh as she placed her arms around Ed's neck. She'd gotten exactly what she'd been trying for, and it wasn't that hard either. Alright, she still had a little control of the situation. All was not lost. "What a gentleman. Will you tuck me in, too?" she added with a grin.

"Eventually," he said honestly. Not in the near future, that was for sure. He dropped her a few inches from the comforter, enough to surprise her a bit but obviously not hurt her at all. Just needed to throw Cha-Cha off guard a bit before crawling after her.

"Eventually? Well, someone's got his evening all mapped out--!" Cha-Cha's voice raised a bit as she found herself being dropped down rather ungracefully onto the bed. Well. Somehow, just when she thought she was getting what she wanted, he decided to go and throw her. Literally. "Ahh, attempted murder. That's the way to impress a lady," Cha-Cha rolled her eyes once the initial shock wore off.

Ed was already halfway on her before he apologized and, he assumed anyway, before her slight confusion disappeared. But it didn't sound very convincing through a laugh.

"No you're not," Cha-Cha replied, though she was laughing too. It was hard to be mad at someone when they were about to give you, ultimately, what you wanted most at the moment. Yes it was all his mastermind, but at least he gave her what she wanted too. He used his powers for evil, but ultimately, for good. Or something.

"I don't sound sincere?" he asked, trailing kisses down her neck again. His fingers were working on buttons but he couldn't tell where exactly. All he knew was they weren't his, and that was all that mattered.

Cha-Cha swallowed hard, trying to get words out. It was easier said than done. "Uh uh," she finally managed, her hands trying to still the movement of his. Though, admittedly, she wasn't trying too hard.

Ah success, one article of clothing undone. He slowed his actions, trying to let her at least take a deep breath. Her hands hadn't gone unnoticed, and he playfully batted them away.

Cha-Cha soon gave up any attempts to stop him, and instead pulled him up so she could kiss him properly. Honestly she hadn't really wanted to stop him anyway (a total shocker, she knew). One hand stayed at the back of his neck to keep him close, while the other was trying to catch up with him.


	8. Popping In

You know the drill, anything played by Cha-Cha was written by the amazingly fabulous author **Operatic**. Send her love and candy! :)

This was taken from our roleplay, so it's structure is a little odd at times. It'd be easy to follow if you saw it in its original place, Great Big Apartment. There just happens to be a link in my profile that will take you there. And hey, while you're there, you might as well join, right? xD

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Popping In

Being bored and lonely was becoming a habit, living alone. It bothered Cha-Cha to death. She'd already spent the day talking to her girls, leaving the rest of the night to herself. She'd call again, but then they might get sick of her and that would only make her sad.

What could one do at a seven thirty at night though? A month or two ago Cha-Cha would have been wondering that. But luckily, when ones boyfriend was only a floor away, there really wasn't too much of a question. Of course, there was no way of knowing whether or not he wanted company. Even less way of knowing whether he was home. But if he was, she could at least see him a little bit. She wasn't travelling eighteen paces to the elevator just to get shot down.

She knocked on his door, inwardly hoping she'd get an answer. Otherwise it'd be back to the drawing board.

Ed had just closed the door thirty seconds ago. For a moment he thought he'd imagined it, or it was the neighbors door closing, but after he finished unbuttoning his jacket he looked through the peephole. Cha-Cha? Now? He quickly ran over his schedule for the week. Was he supposed to know she was coming? Were they supposed meet somewhere and he forgot? He wouldn't plan something on a night he worked, would he? Ed couldn't think of anything. At least he was dressed to leave if they were supposed to be going out.

"Hey," he said, smiling as he opened the door.

"Hey, baby," Cha-Cha let herself in, kissing his cheek quickly as she moved past him. No, he did not get a choice in the matter. She was not about to spend the night lonely and bored, especially not when Ed Green was just a floor above. "It was getting unbearably lonely downstairs, so I thought I'd see if you were home..." she trailed off, figuring he'd understand. Or hoping he would.

He wasn't surprised at all that she waltzed right in. Closing the door behind them, he was relieved to know he hadn't messed anything up. He shrugged out of his coat and hung it in the closet, saying, "I just got here, good timing."

"Very good. I would've been so mad if I'd come all this way just to find an empty house," Cha-Cha grinned, only half-kidding. The fact remained that she didn't want to do more walking than she had to. She was lazy. That was just the way. "So did you have plans tonight or did I walk into a free evening?"

"I know however I answer you're probably staying, so I'll go with free evening." Passing out in front of the television had been on his list of things to do. He was exhausted. He also had no doubt that a silly thing like being tired wouldn't stop her from hanging around, so he moved to the closest armchair to fall into.

"Yeah, probably. Unless I got kicked out by one Ed Green. But he wouldn't do that," Cha-Cha added, following him. Somehow something told her he wasn't really in the mood for...dancing or something. Or really even being awake. That was pretty rough if he just got home, especially if he'd gone in that morning. "You okay?"

"Me kick you out? That'll be the day." He landed comfortably into the cushions, opening his arms to her, inviting her to join him on the chair intended for one occupant. "I'm fine," he assured her. "How are you?"

Cha-Cha gladly followed him into the chair, placing herself comfortably in his lap. Even if this was all he was up for, it was more than welcome. "I'm fabulous, now. Was bored to tears downstairs, but I like this," she smiled, leaning in to kiss him gently.

Ed returned the kiss, always able to find energy for that. He hoped she'd rub off on him enough to stay alert and intelligent enough to carry on a conversation. This was certainly helping. "I think I've moved from fine to good," he smiled.

Cha-Cha's smile deepened and she wrapped herself around him, scooting in a bit closer. "Can I get you to great?" she asked, crossing one leg over the other to get comfortable. It was nice to be so uplifting to him.

"I might match you at fabulous if you gimmie some time," he chuckled. "Although I don't think I know what fabulous would feel like..." Maybe he'd settle for great after all.

Where were his manners? "I probably should have asked before we sat down, but...do you want anything to drink, or ... I don't know if you've eaten yet, I could find something..."

"Aw, baby, you're fabulous. Don't worry," Cha-Cha assured him, running a hand down the front of his shirt. She shrugged at his offer. "Not if you're not hungry. When's the last time you ate?" she added. If he'd been working from morning to seven with no break, he had to eat something.

"I dunno, noon." He was feeling more energetic with her here than he had been during the drive home. The reason most likely being that he now had a pretty drag queen to play with, and he held her firmly. "I normally eat when I get home, and like I said you got here ten seconds after I did. But I don't need dinner just yet," he said with a smile. "Sit with me a sec and I'll be good as new."

Cha-Cha smiled, and that obviously wasn't going to be a problem. She snuggled into him one more time before deeming herself completely comfortable, and rested her hand against his chest as she kissed his neck gently. "I like that. That I can wake you up instead of tire you out. You can keep up with me..." she paused, considering their current position. "Guess that's pretty easy right now though," she laughed.

"Sounds easy, but few can do it," he teased. "So what did you do today? Hopefully more enjoyable things than me," Ed said with a chuckle. Ah, the joys of leaving paperwork for several cases to do in one day. "See your girls?" he guessed.

"Didn't see them, but I talked to them. On the phone," Cha-Cha added. She tried to avoid talking too long, as the phone bill racked up too fast and she was too poor to keep up. Sometimes though, when she had important things to share and the subway was too expensive for her lazy brain, the phone was a god sent. "Told them about you. Well, the rest of them. Rusty knew."

"I was close." He nodded, wondering if any exaggerating had gone on. "When was the last time you got over there?" he asked.

"Mm...last week sometime. Monday? No. That was our date. Tuesday I guess," Cha-Cha shrugged. It was hard to keep track of the days sometimes. That happened when you didn't have a regular job. "That's right, cause I had a show. Okay, I get it," she nodded, talking mostly to herself now.

"Speaking of Monday," he began, "when can we do that again?" Without some of the drama that had occurred, of course.

"Like a date? Anytime, honey, I'm not exactly jam packed as far as scheduling goes. We could do something tonight if we wanted to. If you're waking up a little bit," Cha-Cha tilted her head, leaning in to kiss him a bit deeper this time. Just to wake him up, of course. Purely for that reason. No ulterior motives at all.

"I don't think I'm up for leaving the apartment tonight, but we could do dinner and a movie here," he suggested. "I don't want to get in that car again today." At the moment he would have liked to say ever, but he knew bright and early tomorrow he'd be back in it, driving to the precinct.

"I like that. Maybe I can sleep over," Cha-Cha grinned, the word 'sleep' obviously having some other meanings now. After a pause, she added, "then again, I really might sleep if it's Michael Clayton or something. No law movies this time, please?" she asked.

"A sleep over on a school night?" he teased. "And okay, no hard to follow story lines. You can pick. I have a million DVDs somewhere over there." Ed motioned to the other side of the room, near the television.

"Hmm, you're right. We should both go straight to bed," Cha-Cha nodded her head, taking her hand off his chest and clasping them both neatly in her lap, to try to show her innocence. Try, anyway. The grin on her face gave her away. "Or I can bring one down. Have you seen Titanic, Ed?" Cha-Cha asked with bright eyes. Three hours about romance on the high seas. What more could she possibly ask for?

"No, I haven't..." If ever a chick flick a man should avoid. "I already know the ship sinks, so I could never sit myself down for it. But with the way you just lit up, I think you've decided for us." At least if he fell asleep during the movie he could blame it on his hectic day.

"Yeah, it sinks, but did you know there were these people on board named Jack and Rose? I swear Ed, it's so beautiful," Cha-Cha gushed, her arms moving up to wrap around his neck. Actually, Jack and Rose sort of reminded her of Ed and herself. Except she was the man and Ed was the lady. She was sure he'd just love that.

"Everyone knows the 'I'll never let go Jack' line," he smiled. "But you don't have to convince me, Cha-Cha, go get it. You're in charge, I've learned to surrender early."

Cha-Cha smiled deeply and leaned in, kissing him slowly. There were many ways to Cha-Cha's heart. Power was one of them. But she didn't have to get the movie right away, if he wanted to cuddle fo a bit, he'd hear no complaints.

And cuddle they did. In no time at all Cha-Cha had completely gotten Ed's senses working. "If you want to watch Titanic tonight we should probably start it soon. That thing's like ten hours long isn't it?" he joked. "And I might change my mind, so as much as I hate letting you get up..."

"Ten hours! Oh ha ha Ed, it's three. And...a bit. Not counting Celine, but you have to listen t the credits," Cha-Cha pointed out. My Heart Will Go On? Instant classic. If it were just a little more upbeat, it would be the only song you hear at the club anymore. She sighed deeply, but in the end she knew he was right and she slowly got herself up off his lap. "Do you want to get dinner figured out while I'm up there? Either order in or start something. You need to eat," she added.

"I know, I know, I'll go find something." Ed wandered to the kitchen. He hoped for a meal he could do relatively quickly. A long pasta process hadn't exactly worked out last time. After a thorough search of his apartments cupboards, he determined that he had absolutely nothing worth preparing. They would be ordering in. Cha-Cha was back by then, and he said, "Didn't find anything. What are we ordering?"

Cha-Cha returned shortly, tape in hand. Well, tapes. The movie, being as long as it was, had to be split up into two cassettes. It had cost her a small fortune but it was totally worth it. "Oh, okay. Hm...we've done the chinese thing. What else is around? Pizza?"

"Are pizza and chinese the only ones who deliver?" he wondered. He honestly couldn't think of anything that would come to them. "I'm fine with pizza, but I seriously don't know..."

"I think they are. That I know of, anyway," Cha-Cha shrugged, going over that one in her head. It was true, those were the only real staples. "The Chinese and Italians are movers and shakers I guess. What toppings do you get?" She figured she'd ask him first, just in case he had more specific favourites. She'd never deny him his sesame chicken.

"For pizza I'll eat anything, I'm not picky." He tried to think of what he normally got. "Pepperoni...green pepper...anything really." Although he had never really been a fan of Hawaiian. Or anchovies, now that he thought about it.

"Where would deliver..." Cha-Cha said to herself, moving into the kitchen. Well, there was one place. Of course, how thrilled Ed would be about Carmine, she didn't know. "Can I order it?" she asked after a second, unable to hide the grin on her face. There was nothing wrong with ordering pizza from an incredibly good looking person. It was totally innocent. Honest.

Ed didn't see why ordering pizza would make her smile like that. "Sure," he said, slightly confused but by no means suspicious. "Do you know my address?" he teased.

"Nah, I just knocked on all the doors till you answered," Cha-Cha teased back, setting off in search of the phone. Titanic, Ed, Carmine and pizza? It was a good night that only set her in a good mood. Picking up the receiver, she dialled the number. It was a little sad she had it memorized, but she had needed to use it a few times. "I hope he'll deliver this far out," she added to herself before the phone was answered on the other end.

Ed grabbed a coke before sitting at the kitchen table. No sense getting comfy cozy elsewhere if a delivery was on its way. He didn't hear the 'he', or perhaps thought nothing of it, and sat silently, thinking about nothing in particular.

Cha-Cha gave the other end their order and address. Before hanging up, though, she added, "and is Carmine delivering tonight? He is? Good." Hanging up, she skipped over to stand in front of him. "I have a surprise for you!" she told him excitedly. Okay, not a surprise anymore, having been there all along. But even still; if Carmine were going to deliver pizza to her, even if it weren't a surprise, it would be something to get excited about.

He knew she was expecting some sort of reaction, but... "I'm sorry, I completely stopped listening. What are we excited about?" All he'd heard was 'surprise', and he was under the impression that all that had gone on was a pizza being ordered. And she knew he knew that. So...

"Remember Carmine the pizza boy?" Cha-Cha asked with a grin, sitting down at the table opposite him. "Who I have a completely platonic love for?" she stressed. Pausing there, she figured he could work out the rest.

Ah, yes. She would be excited. "Now I get why you want pizza," he said, narrowing his eyes playfully. "What I don't get is why you said a surprise for me. Obviously you're the one who is going to be enjoying themselves."

"Me! Are you not a gay man, Ed? Just because I've had the pleasure before doesn't mean you won't," Cha-Cha giggled, touching his foot with hers. "I mean...he's sort of male stripper-esque. But he's better because he's also got that cute little boy thing going on but obviously you're a little boy too," she backed up quickly.

He could hardly imagine this person. A Greek god male stripper who could pull off a cute little boy thing. Ed rolled his eyes. Where does she find these people? "Why don't we just invite him in to join us?" he asked sarcastically.

"I really hope you're not jealous," Cha-Cha frowned lightly. Okay, so he had some reason to be, by some stretch of the imagination. But...Cha-Cha liked men, and Carmine was an exceptional example of one. But she'd barely touched him--okay, maybe touched him a little, if you could count Rusty's party--but other than that, nothing.

"I'm just kidding," he assured her. He knew he didn't have anything to be worried about. It was just strange to hear her gush about someone else. But she'd done it before, and he knew that's just how she was. It was almost cute in a weird sort of way. "As long as I remain in the top five," he chuckled, "order from whoever you want."

"Baby, you are at least in the top three," Cha-Cha promised. Carmine was just nice to look at. She was sure Ed would agree, or else she'd seriously question his taste in men. "Don't worry though, I wouldn't ask him to stay. I think Titanic may be a bit beyond his intelligibles," she sighed.

Ed laughed. So at least he had one up on intelligence. She was currently his numero uno with little competition, but he just took a sip of his drink and changed the subject. Admit that he apparently didn't have as many choices as her? Nope. Surrender the fact that he didn't want anyone else? No again. At least not yet.

The pizza arrived a little while later. They wouldn't be getting it free; but then, she wouldn't put that on Carmine either. "You'll be nice, right?" Cha-Cha warned as she stood up. Who was she kidding? He'd be nice. If he could stop the drool anyway.

"Of course, Cha-Cha," he laughed, walking to and opening the door.

Wow. Ed's eyes widened, then he quickly dug for his wallet. He was tempted to turn around and say 'You're right Cha-Cha, he does resemble a male stripper', but he wouldn't do that her. He definitely saw what she'd been getting at. Ed backed up a bit to let her squeeze by if she wanted to say hello. Say hello, not hug hello.

The look on Ed's face wasn't lost on Cha-Cha. A laugh bubbled up, but she blocked it with a fist. She knew this would be a good surprise for him. Plusl it eliminated any jealously he could have; cause obviously it was only human nature to drool over Carmine. She waved her fingers at the...slightly confused pizza boy before introducing Ed.

Ed said hello and took the food. He stood beside Cha-Cha, wondering if that was it or if they were going to have a real conversation. Looking at Carmine, he wondered why the kid looked so ... confused? Surprised? Maybe he had a naturally questioning expression, Ed wouldn't know.

"New boyfriend," Cha-Cha informed Carmine gently, and took the receipt just as an opportunity to pat his hand quickly. Maybe this hadn't been the best idea. Carmine had always had a thing for Cha-Cha...or so Cha-Cha believed. His confusion disappeared a bit, though he kept that natural puppy dog face that Cha-Cha loved.

Apparently this guy could smile forever, Ed marveled. He chatted a bit, and contrary to popular belief, was very relaxed. After all, he was the one with Cha-Cha. If either of them were going to be jealous, it should be Carmine.

He'd come off more jealous than he meant to earlier. Ed was naturally sarcastic, and was used to being around Lennie who knew that half of what he said was just him joking.

Cha-Cha let Ed and Carmine talk, interjecting comments when it suited her right. Well, it was very very civil. No fighting over her, at least. Her plan had failed! Well, semi plan. She hadn't wanted to pit them against each other, that wouldn't have been nice. But if there was a little jealousy and maybe a shirt or two ripped off, she might have been okay with that, maybe.

"Titanic is three hours long," she reminded Ed quietly, trying to politely push Carmine out the door. The didn't have to get too friendly with each other.

Ed nodded and soon Carmine was gone and he was trying not to laugh that it had ended up being Cha-Cha who shooed him away. "I told you I'd be nice," he smirked. A grand total of six and a half minutes had passed with no fighting. He got the feeling that she was almost disappointed. Nice to know he was expected to be the entertainment for the evening.

"You were very nice," Cha-Cha agreed, and took the pizza from him for no other reason than it was between the two of them. Well, he had done like she'd asked, anyway. Of course, he seemed positively unthreatened by the fact that she was so taken by Carmine. Setting the box on the counter, she moved back to him. "Very, very nice. Don't think I missed it when Ed Green turned into a fish," she told him teasingly, biting back a smirk. "Told you you'd like him."

A fish? "I did, did I?" he asked. Ed welcomed the closeness. Running his hands down her sides then up her arms to cup her face, he smiled. Carmine definitely had the muscle thing going for him, but... to Ed it was more been there, done that than he'd like. (Though admittedly no one truly compared.) It was harder to find a man with Cha-Cha's fragile frame.

"I really hope you're not jealous," he said, imitating her.

"I am not jealous! I don't get jealous," Cha-Cha protested, wrapping her arms around his waist. She'd called Carmine both to interest Ed, and to reaffirm his love-no...affection for her. If it turned out the other way around...well, that would just be silly. "I know you like me best. Most people do, right?" she tested.

Ed assumed she knew he'd been kidding, and just chuckled at her protest. He was going to say 'That doens't sound like someone who isn't' but she had already continued on.

"Right," he nodded, dropping his hands. "I'll admit it's not hard to like Carmine," said Ed with a laugh, "but it's impossible for me to not love you." A completely accidental confession. "Anyway, Titanic." Ed placed his hands on hers, meaning to remove them from his waist, but he hesitated.

He'd said it so care free maybe she'd shrug it off as just something to say in response to her question. Ed had pictured it coming out in a more romantic moment. Definitely not after they both had been eyeing someone else.

Hold on. Cha-Cha didn't move yet even with the promise of Titanic, because she'd pretty much only heard one word in that sentence. Did he really? That was something people threw around sometimes. Hell, Cha-Cha had loved just about every boyfriend she'd ever had. And actually loved maybe one of them. And how many of those 'loves' had actually worked out? Maybe none of them.

Cha-Cha didn't know if she loved Ed yet. She was awful at distinguishing between like and love, hence her multitude of exes. She knew she liked him a whole lot, maybe more than she'd liked a man before. Or at least, not in awhile. But love? She wasn't even sure she'd felt it before. How could she tell when she felt it?

"What?" she asked quietly, before it occurred to her he was changing the subject. Moving on was good. She wasn't sure what to say to him yet. It occurred to him that before when he'd let the word slip, they'd moved on again and let it go. But...one more time couldn't hurt, right? "The movie, umm...where did it end up..." the cassettes were in plain sight on the coffee table.

She felt awkward, he guessed. Couldn't blame her. His voice was still light despite what was going on inside him, and as he peeled her hands off him he laughed and said, "It's right there. I swear I can hear Leo calling your name from here."

Cha-Cha smiled weakly, following him. Even with the subject pretty much dropped, she still felt uneasy. It wouldn't be right for him to say it and for her not to. It wasn't that she absolutely didn't love him. But if she told him she did when she didn't...she had messed up too many relationships that way. She liked him too much.

Still though, the last thing she'd wanted was to make things awkward between them. "I don't like Leo that much," she admitted, plopping down on the couch and waiting for him.

Ed was proud to remember how to work the VCR. Probably because he was in the comfort of his own home, with his own player. He sat close to her and further than normal from his beloved corner. He held the pizza box in one hand, remote in the other.

Cha-Cha got as close to him as possible, having nearly forgotten they'd ordered a pizza. But she didn't want to act as though anything was different, and ended up even closer to him than normal, if it was at all possible.

Ed set the remote aside and opened the pizza box. He wouldn't consider himself a clean freak exactly, but eating on the couch...with no plate...or at least a napkin of some kind...was scary. But they'd had enough interruptions, and he'd deal with it. It was past eight, the movie was long, he had to work tomorrow. Titanic had to start now.

"Oh wait, do we have kleenex?" Cha-Cha asked, totally serious as she looked in the table. Everyone called Titanic a tear jerker. She could attest to that and then some. No matter how many times she saw it, it was still heart breaking.

Ed raised an eyebrow. "S...seriously?" He asked, trying to keep his smirk hidden. It appeared to be an honest question though, and he thought he remembered there being some around. Someplace. Maybe. When she didn't say just kidding he stood up to go hunting for kleenex, handing the box of pizza off to her as he did so.

"Yes, seriously. I get emotional!" Cha-Cha reasoned, scowling but keeping it playful. Even now at the very beginning, it wouldn't be hard to get choked up. The ruins were onscreen with the sad music in the background, and she wasn't made of stone! She would take the oppurtunity to steal a piece of pizza, though.

Ed returned successful. He didn't remember ever buying kleenex, but there are some things that appear in homes on their own. Settling back down next to Cha-Cha he said, "If I fall asleep, don't wake me up, I have to get up early tomorrow. I promise we can watch it again if we need to." In the interest of protecting his life, he added, "Although I'm sure I'll be on the edge of my seat the entire time." He did enjoy dramas. Just going into the biggest chick flick ever and knowing it was the biggest chick flick ever was intimidating.

"You won't fall asleep, promise. Criticism of this movie has been widely exaggerated," Cha-Cha replied with wide eyes, getting as close as possible without dropping pizza sauce on him. That wouldn't work so well, would it? First she called Carmine, then she froze up, then she sauced him while making him sit through Titanic. She wouldn't call herself again if that were the case, either. "You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll learn how to spit like a man."

"Excuse me?" Spit like a man?

He'd admit it, he got sucked in. The love story was nice and all, but he was anticipating the iceberg. Again the typical male love of destroying beautiful things. His eyes started drooping against his will around nine thirty. Kindly remember he had been exhausted this evening, and the adrenaline rush of having Cha-Cha there was dwindling away as he got comfy cozy.

There was no question about whether or not Cha-Cha was enjoying it. Her eyes lit up any time Jack and Rose did anything slightly romantic, her arms around Ed as soon as her pizza was gone. What could she say? She was a movie watcher. She hadn't even noticed Ed's growing drowsiness.

"Do you ever wonder when you're watching a movie if it'll surprise you and be different some time?" Cha-Cha asked out of the blue. They'd just passed the famous portrait scene, meaning the iceberg was on it's way. "Like, maybe it won't sink this time?"

"Yes. Well, no. Not for this movie. But I know what you mean." He expected mysteries to end differently. And one time it did! No one told him Clue had four alternate endings. Each time he caught it on TV it was a different killer, and for years it baffled him.

"It would be nice if for once they got a happily ever after," Cha-Cha sighed deeply. It only occurred to her afterwards she'd given him a huge spoiler. "Not that anybody dies or anything like that! It definitely isn't Jack," she assured him quickly. Her girlfriend points had dropped so hard on this date alone, she could almost hear it flat line.

Ed chuckled, and was too busy watching the movie and trying to stay awake to fully comprehend what she'd said. And he knew this movie had to have a sad ending, tissues were involved after all. He hugged her closer, secretly intending to turn her into a pillow, and mumbled something about him not caring if he knew the end and that he'd guessed something like that anyway.

Cha-Cha sighed happily, leaning up to kiss him gently. It was almost getting up to the incredibly romantic car scene and aside from that, she just wanted. He could sleep if he wanted to and she wouldn't make a fuss. She'd pushed her luck enough for one night with him. "It's gonna sink soon," she informed him quietly.

Ed smiled as Rose tugged Jack over the back seat of the car. One of Cha-Cha's favorite scenes, he was sure. His smile grew to a sleepy grin, and with his arm around her waist still he fell over onto his side, dragging her with him. A slightly surprising move that ended up in an ideal position. There. Imitating Titanic to the best of his drowsy ability and he was now laying down to go to sleep. A win win, right?

The smile returned to Cha-Cha's face as he held her, and she gladly snuggled in closer to him, resting a hand on his chest. It was the last real romantic moment in the movie that wasn't tinged with all that sad. So basically, it was the last time in the movie Cha-Cha would be totally dry eyed. It didn't take long after the iceberg hit that she began blinking a bit more rapidly than normal.

Aaaand Ed was out. Laying down was what did it. The last thing that floated through his mind was the fact that Cha-Cha was still there and they hadn't said anything about what to do after the movie. Was she leaving? Staying? He should probably tell her something but he nodded off.

It didn't take long for the tears to begin streaming down Cha-Cha's cheeks, and she reached around for a kleenex quickly. She understood it sank, but did it have to be so depressing? Her eye makeup was ruined beyond repair. Somehow, she had a feeling he didn't care too much. He was fast asleep, which made it easier for her to curl up in his arms. And show all the emotion she needed while keeping some of her dignity.

Ed opened one eye when he thought he heard a hiccup. Or some strange, muffled crying sound. He pressed his lips against whatever part of her was closest, he assumed her neck. He faded in and out of that almost-asleep daze. The ship was split in two. Cool. Now that was worth fighting sleep off for.

Cha-Cha dabbed at her eyes quickly, a small smile coming back as she was kissed by him. She had no way of knowing how awake he was at this point, but it was still nice of him. "It sank again this time," she mumbled, holding him tighter to herself.

"I'm sorry." The ship was gone now, and Rose and Jack were shivering in the water. This was a depressing movie, wasn't it? "Is this the 'I'll never let go Jack' part?" he asked, wondering if he'd missed it. It was one of the only lines he knew from this movie.

Cha-Cha nodded her head, only because it was a little hard for her to talk with two kleenexes up against her face. She wasn't kidding when she said kleenex would be needed. In practically every sad movie Cha-Cha found something to cry over. It was a little embarrassing to be honest. Rose whispered the iconic words before letting Jack sink into the ocean, and Cha-Cha clung to Ed for dear life as she tried to stop crying.

He hugged her, massaging slow circles with his right hand wherever he could reach. It was hard to be comforting when you weren't paying attention, but he tried. He was surprisingly touched when an old Rose dropped the necklace into the ocean.

Cha-Cha sighed deeply, hugging him back. The tears had pretty much stopped, but she knew her face probably looked a mess. Waterproof mascara was not a luxury she could always afford. "Do you think the real Jack and Rose are together now?" she asked hopefully. Nobody ever told her they were fictional characters, therefore they were real to her.

"Yes." Was he just answering to answer? Yes. Did he really agree? Who knows. He yawned. "I'm ten seconds from sleep," he informed her, unaware that he'd already dozed at least twice.

"Good," Cha-Cha sighed softly, apparently only needed that little bit of reassurance. With a small smile she kissed his neck softly. "I'd say you're further than that. What time do you need to go in tomorrow?" she asked, leaning forward to check the time. Past eleven thirty. Well, it figured.

"I need to be there around seven." He hadn't told her that earlier because he hadn't wanted her to leave. If he went to sleep right now, maybe he'd get a little over five hours in. Not horrible...

"To be there? Damn," Cha-Cha sniffed, the sadness finally out of her system. But that was crazy. "Guess I should head home," she added, leaning in to kiss him again. It wasn't hard to see that she wasn't too ready to leave her comfortable spot in his arms. But she understood and wouldn't make a fuss about it.

Ed pressed another kiss to her neck. She hadn't been up here for a while, whenever they got together was usually days he could drop by down at her place. Even though all he could do was lay there, he didn't want her to go. "Stay with me tonight," he breathed softly into her ear. It had been intended to be a request, but came out more final in the end.

A small smile met Cha-Cha's lips and she leaned in to kiss him. "Gladly," she whispered back. "Do you want to move to the bed? I've gotta wash my face anyway," she added. She didn't feel the need to explain herself.

He yawned as he tried to respond. Realizing it hadn't been understandable, he softly nudged her, urging her to get up. Stumble to the bed. Grab Cha-Cha. Sleep. That was tonights plan.

Cha-Cha kissed his cheek quickly before climbing off of him, and offering him her hand. In a way it was sort of funny, how quickly he could sleep. She knew his job wasn't exactly relaxing, but she could still tease him about the age thing. Herself, she could stay up a few more hours at least. Even still, she had no qualms about being held by him through the night.

Ed had been all over New York this afternoon. Why couldn't friends and family members of victims just call with their information? Or drive themselves to the precinct? It would be so much easier and faster than sending Lennie and himself to everyone's door. Most of the time they didn't have anything helpful anyway. And aside from that, he'd left paperwork from the week before piling up on his desk. He couldn't even relax as his partner drove because he had to hurry and get that taken care of before Lieu missed it.

He took her hand to help get up, making sure to push off the couch enough himself to not drag her right back down. He wandered to his bedroom and collapsed on the comforter, laying there a minute before finding the energy to crawl underneath it.

Cha-Cha returned from the bathroom a moment later, her face as clean as it could be with only water at her disposal. Though she was fully clothed, she climbed into bed anyway, figuring it wasn't a big deal. Kissing him softly, she draped an arm around him and got close.


	9. title of post

OPERATIC PLAYED CHA-CHA.

* * *

title of post

Ed had called the evening before to make sure Cha-Cha had no plans for tonight. It might have given away that he was up to something, but he'd needed to know. It was hard to get time off lately. He didn't understand why Van Buren refused to lighten up a bit and let him get a full weekend off now and then, but this time it actually came in handy. It was Tuesday, and who really did anything on Tuesdays?

It was a quarter to five when he knocked on her door.

Cha-Cha looked through the peek hole, a smile meeting her lips instantly. This time it was her getting surprised by him. Well, not surprised, exactly; when he'd called the night before, she'd figured he'd had plans for them. What they were though, she had no idea.

Opening the door, she smiled deeply at him. "Surprise?"

"Kinda killed it when I asked you to keep today open, didn't I?" he chuckled, giving her a quick hello kiss. But he had to make up being away for over a week somehow, right? Well, almost a week. He'd made it down to say good night three days go...but that didn't count.

"It's alright. Long as I see you a few times a month I don't mind so much," Cha-Cha replied honestly, though they both knew she'd prefer much more than a few times a month. A few times a week, maybe more. She moved out of the way to let him in, shutting the door behind him. "So what am I sacrificing my plans for tonight?"

Ed rolled his eyes playfully. As if it were really such a pain. "Dinner and a show," he said, tone almost asking approval. He actually hoped she'd assume show meant movie. What would it be like sitting through dinner with her bouncing and ready to go to the theater before they even ordered?

Cha-Cha was surprised that he'd made her double check her plans for dinner and a movie. It wasn't unwelcome at all though and she nodded her head. "Will we have to drive forty five minutes out again?" she teased, but was clearly pleased with his idea.

"No, I doubt we'd make it back in time," he said absently. In his pocket were two tickets to a Broadway show starting at eight. They couldn't just catch the next one. They'd have to stay nearby, but still somewhere out of the way enough for him to be comfortable. "Are you ready to leave..." Soon? This second? "...now...ish?" She looked great to him, but girls seemed to always change something.

Cha-Cha rose her eyebrow. Make it back in time for what? She let it slide though; he probably had to work in the morning. That would be hard on him in they were out too late. "How soon is nowish?" Cha-Cha asked, a hand coming up instinctively to touch her lips. She could stand to reapply a few things, and to change into something a little more...date-ish.

"Whenever you're ready, I'm in no hurry," he lied. Well, sort of lied. He allowed extra time for moments like these. They had three hours before they absolutely had to be there. How long could dinner take? He sat down in the nearest chair, waving her off to her room or wherever she needed to go.

Cha-Cha nodded, heading towards her bathroom. At the very least she needed more lipstick. "I think the paper's on the coffee table, if you wanna pick a movie," she called after her. Whether it was a good idea to let him pick or not, she didn't know. He was the one who went for Michael Clayton. But she didn't really have any ideas.

"Okay," he said, watching her go. He picked up the paper but flipped to the comics section. This would keep him busy for awhile. He glanced at the clock. They were fine so far. In fact, they could probably breeze through dinner too without him needing to be antsy. Maybe he wanted to see the show more than he'd thought?

Reapplying her lipstick led to her mascara too, leading to a wig change. And at the end of it, she was pretty sure she'd look better in a different outfit, too. Over ten minutes had already passed, but it wasn't like they were in a huge hurry, or anything. Emerging from the bathroom, she promised she'd only be a few minutes more before heading to the bedroom.

A few minutes? A likely story. Ed still wasn't used to hair color and length changing so fast. He also swore that it actually affected her personality. Honestly. It was crazy.

Another ten minutes passed and Cha-Cha finally emerged, dressed the same as she had been when she went in. After multiple tries, she couldn't find anything better. Trial and error never hurt anyone though, did it? "I think I'm ready," she told him, doing a quick turn around to get his opinion.

"Gorgeous, like always," he grinned, standing up. "I've got a show in mind, do you wanna pick dinner?" It was only fair.

It took alot to make Cha-Cha blush, and she tried to ignore the fact her cheeks were becoming pink. "Okay...where's nearby? And safe," she added, thinking to herself. Somewhere at least semi-nice, hopefully; it was a date after all. "No Sardi's, I'm guessing. What else is off limits?"

"Well it is Tuesday..." Not a major date night. "Thinking that way could be a bad idea though," he mumbled to himself. "Anything with a lot of pedestrian traffic isn't good."

"No McDonalds. Darn," Cha-Cha giggled to herself, grabbing her purse off the doorknob quickly. "Well, it's New York. There are tons of places around. We could just walk around, we'd get to one eventually," she pointed out.

"Yeah, we can do that," he agreed. Ed figured they were bound to pass by someplace he knew was good. He had been at this a while, after all. Just hard to think of them off the top of his head.

"Least it's warmer out," Cha-Cha added, gesturing down towards her short skirt and heels. Meaning she could be fashionable, and he could drool. A perfect combo. She turned her back and went to the closet, grabbing her jacket quickly.

I love spring... It was good to him.

Outside, Ed hoped to be walking around as little as possible. In theory, all the important people should be working, but his luck only went so far. Not even a close call or two after these few months? Best not to push it. He regretfully kept a few inches between them as they strolled along, not a big gap, praying she would understand. They didn't walk much, he didn't know if she was used to this part.

Cha-Cha walked alongside him, a little put off by how far he was. Of course she understood, and if she'd had a real problem with the distance, she wouldn't have kept dating him. She wasn't gonna lie though, it would be nice to walk like alot of the other couples on the street were.

"I can't think of anything around here...do you? We've gotta find something eventually," she said. After a moment, she let her hand brush against his gently. It could've just been a brush, though if he thought it was safe to hold her hand, that would be great too.

Ed knew what she was doing, but he acted like he thought it was an accident and kept talking. "What if we just turn at the next corner and go in the first place we see? Be spontaneous."

Cha-Cha brought the hand back to her side, trying not to let any disappointment show on her face. She wasn't really disappointed, anyway. She hadn't expected anything, so no harm done, right? "I like that. Except if we have to use chopsticks," she added.

"First non-chopstick related restaurant," he nodded. He patted his pocket absently, confident that would more than make up for the space between them. "Although I'm sure you'd catch on if you did it regularly."

"I don't wanna get used to it though! I like my knife and fork just fine," Cha-Cha insisted. Her and chopsticks simply did not mix. Unless they were being used as a hair accessory. Pretty soon they were turning the corner, and Cha-Cha kept her eyes open for anything that looked good.

A Starbucks, McDonalds, and a nicer looking place, one he couldn't tell the type of food by the name. Or actually read the sign from this angle. "Hmm. Well?" Follow the proposed plan or keep going?

"Mcdonalds? Didn't we decide against that one?" Cha-Cha asked, wrinkling her nose. A second later and she got which one he was looking towards. "Ohh, wait. It's potential chopstick area...I'm getting hungry though," she admitted, nodding her head.

"I can't tell what it is," he admitted, starting for it, "but it isn't really giving off a Chinese vibe." Reaching the window, he could read Danny's painted in green letters. "That sounds like anything but chopsticks."

"Let's be spontaneous then," Cha-Cha agreed. The place seemed pretty harmless, and if he wanted to see a show later they should probably eat soon. Especially if he had to work early the next day. "It seems pretty harmless."

Ed nodded and opened the door for her, following her in. It was an average place, but super fancy didn't seem her style anyway. Table for two, nonsmoking. Hopefully they followed the trend of putting smokers near windows to keep the air cleaner, and to keep him along a solid wall.

"Nonsmoking huh?" Cha-Cha repeated, mentally checking it off her list. She wasn't either; well, not usually, anyway. It wasn't like she'd be able to afford it anyway. Better to have the temptation be a non-issue. "You're not one of those health nuts or something though, right? Cause I'm gonna be honest, I pretty much eat cereal for dinner some nights," she admitted. Frosted Flakes were a far cry from your healthy balanced meal.

She didn't come up with the real reason on her own, and he didn't see any point in bringing it up. "No, not a health nut." He had his fair share of unhealthy habits. "But if I were I would be very offended. A _nut_? _Really_."

"I'm sorry, did I offend nuts everywhere?" Cha-Cha grinned. It only occurred to her later on his real reason for choosing the non smoking section. Anyone could pass by and see the two of them if they were by the window. Why put it to chance? "I don't know, Ed, you are a detective. I figured you've gotta stay in shape, you know, in case you have to run sometimes," she shrugged.

"Hey, I can run," he laughed. And it was true. Both up and down flights of stairs faster than most people. "I'm the one who has take off after suspects all the time. Lennie just runs to the car."

"Oh, Lennie. What a card," or so Cha-Cha heard. She had no first hand experience of knowing the man. Of course she'd love to meet him, but...it went without saying. "I like the way he thinks, though. That would be me. If I could drive and everything." The sad thing was, if Ed wasn't just upstairs, she probably wouldn't see too much of him. Both due to her lack of a driver's licence, and because she was lazy.

"Hmm," he said, imagining that scenario. "You as a detective..." Intriguing. With a laugh he continued, "Why does everyone leave the hard work for me? Honestly, what would you or Lennie do if I wasn't there to chase these people...?"

"You don't want to think about that. I don't want to think about that. I can't even have plants," Cha-Cha laughed out loud, imagining it. Course, she'd managed to keep his rose around for awhile. Then she hung it upside down and let it dry. That always seemed like such a sadistic practice to her, but she wanted to save it. "We would be dead meat, which is exactly why we keep you around," she bit back a giggle. Well, it was one of the reasons.

"Good to be needed," he chuckled. He glanced around the menu. A little of everything, good. Out of anxious curiosity he tried to subtly check his watch. They had three hours, and they were only a short drive away. He had to admit he just wanted to hand them over to see her reaction. But he knew she'd be even worse than he was with waiting. He continued to read through the selections to get his mind off it.

Cha-Cha finally decided on some pasta-alfredo sauce thing. It was hard to go wrong. "What movie did you decide on?" she asked. As long as it wasn't boring, she didn't care too much. Or, if it was boring, they got to walk out loudly.

"I'll tell you when we get there," he said. "Build up suspense." Ed thought the Santa Fe chicken salad sounded good, but there was no way he was ordering that in front of her after he swore he was not a health nut. He chose the steak dinner instead.

Cha-Cha rose her eyebrow, but lowered her eyes back to her menu before closing it. "Mmkay Ed. Probably won't beat Titanic, but you know, not much does," she grinned. "Not that you would know or anything. Did you even see it sink?" Cha-Cha may have been teary eyed, but she wasn't stupid enough to not realize she was lying on a sleeping man.

"I saw every minute of it..." He looked around with shifty eyes. "Especially when it sank. 'Cause I remember you hiccuping." Thought about that for a second. "And I would remember that because I was awake. Yes."

"Of course you did, dear," Cha-Cha grinned to herself, trying to hold in a laugh. "My favourite part was when the mummy came alive," she added, trying to stay totally serious. Cha-Cha wasn't a very good actress. "And I did not hiccup! I...I...it was a very emotional movie! You're just heartless," she decided with a pout, crossing her arms.

"I'm not that stupid," he said, refusing to be tricked into appearing gullible.

"What?" asked Ed, smiling. "I don't cry so I'm heartless? That's not fair, I wasn't conscious enough to grasp what was going on."

"I _knew _you were sleeping. You were practically snoring," Cha-Cha teased, not mad at all. To be honest, he had made a good pillow. He just missed the best movie of all time ever. "How much of it do you even remember?"

"D-eh-most of it?" That was convincing. "I saw it sink, so I was happy. Well, you know what I mean." Ed didn't mention how he really felt for Rose when she dropped the necklace overboard. "Like I said, we can watch it again when I'm actually feeling alive if you want."

"Why bother? You saw what you wanted to," Cha-Cha laughed to herself, pushing her hair behind her ears. "We could. When you're alive we can do all sorts of things," she shrugged. Not that she'd been hoping for a repeat of Valentine's Day or anything like that. "It really wasn't that bad though, was it? You like You've Got Mail, you can't have chick flick prejudice!"

"It's not that I didn't like it for itself, it's just going into it knowing it's the biggest chick flick _ever _is different than randomly finding You've Got Mail. I did like what I saw, honestly. Or I think I did. The first hour. And the last half hour... I don't really remember the middle." About those other things...he could be alive tonight.

"The middle's the best part though!" Cha-Cha sighed. "I'm flying, Jack? Tell me you saw when he drew her! It's only the most romantic part of any movie," she shook her head. How could he have honestly slept through all that? Men.

Maybe if she'd been drawing him...ahem hem. "I'll watch it again," was his answer. "In the middle of some afternoon when I'm one hundred percent awake. I'll take notes or something. Full and complete attention. Unless you're there with me, and then it'll be more half and half."

"I know I'm distracting Ed, but honestly. There will be a test," she instructed him. Only about seventy five percent joking. "If it makes you feel better, if you turn your head and squint your eyes, we are sort of Rose and Jackish. Only you're more Rose, I think." Okay, it was sort of a stretch, but if it would get him a little more interested...

"Why am I Rose?" he asked confused, almost whining, without thinking about plot lines at all. Why did he have to be the woman? That was all that crossed his mind.

"What's wrong with Rose? I'd be Rose," Cha-Cha asked. "But I fit the adventurous, carefree one better. You're more the stuffy, high class one, who does loosen up in the end," she added. See? Being Rose wasn't all bad.

Ed raised an eyebrow. "Thank you?" He wasn't sure what to say to that, but it sounded sort of good at the end... "Now I'll have to watch to see if I can see what you're saying..."

"Yes you will. I feel bad knowing you missed it," Cha-Cha told him, touching his foot under the table. After a minute the food arrived. "Will we still make your movie?" she asked.

"Yeah, and there's always the next showing, no hurry." He ate a fry. "_Our _movie," Ed corrected with a smile. "You are coming with me, aren't you?"

"Well, I don't know. I'm pretty sleepy. Payback," Cha-Cha grinned to herself, stealing a fry quickly before starting her own. She didn't really blame him for falling asleep, but he would definitely be watching Titanic again. "You did pick it out though. I don't even know what it is. You're right though, there's always the next showing."

_I'll be out fifty bucks, but there's always the next showing_. Thank God _title of show _wasn't a show that was one hundred and up a seat.

"Are there any other movies I have to see?" he asked.

"I'll make a list," Cha-Cha told him. It would have to be pretty long, there were alot of must-sees in her opinion. My Left Foot? Love Story? The Way We Were, Hunchback of Notre Dame? How could you pass those up?

"Can I throw in one now and then?" he grinned. He knew he had a few she would enjoy. Some movies he didn't keep in plain sight in his living room for a reason. Priscilla, To Wong Foo, those movies no one admits they actually own but secretly enjoy... And if he ever felt like a night of being clung to and sobbed on, throw in Bent.

"Depends," Cha-Cha said after a moment. What type of movies would Ed watch? Boring ones? Then again, he had You've Got Mail and liked it. On the other hand, he did pick Michael Clayton. "If I approve of them."

"Your faith in me is touching." Although he hadn't given her any reason to believe he would have drag films tucked away, so maybe it was understandable. Though Bent was far from drag. That she would have to weigh seriously. Good, but if she cried when someone died relatively humanely in Titanic...the waterworks during this film would be intense. And if he could read her mind, he'd tell her for the hundredth time that she had picked out Michael Clayton.

Changing the subject, he asked how her meal tasted.

"It's pretty good for some random restaurant. You?" Cha-Cha asked. The french fries weren't bad, but it was hard to tell from that. "I like this. It's been awhile since we've had an actual date." Rather than a few pop ins. And even less sleepovers.

"I really like it." It was walking distance, an extra bonus.

He knew she'd like to get out more. "I know, I'm sorry, I'm working on that." Yes that was his usual answer, and no, not much had changed over the months. Not much good, anyway. Lieu had actually begun asking about this mystery woman Ed was seeing. He didn't have a picture, wouldn't surrender a whole name knowing what kind of research Van Buren could do, and she'd never been seen by anyway at the precinct. The detective was worried Lieu suspected something else was going on.

"I know, baby," Cha-Cha sighed. It wasn't exactly easy for him, and she could understand that. Sort of. She couldn't lie and say she didn't really, really want to see him. But he tried his best, right? He'd see her more if he could. "We don't even have to go out, even though it is nice. Anytime," they lived close enough to each other that it wasn't a big deal to see each other often.

"I'll come down more," he promised. Ed would do all he could to keep it this time. If Lieu wanted to punish his suspicious behavior, he might as well be actually doing something. Apparently striving to get to work on time and awake wasn't helping much. If he showed up a few times a week a little blurry eyed, oh well.

"I can even come up, if you want. If you can't get yourself to the elevator. As long as I know you're in there," Cha-Cha added. She supposed she could go up sometimes like she had the other night, without knowing if he was around. But that was just luck, and on most days she was too lazy for that.

To be honest, she was surprised with how hard she was trying to make this relationship survive. With alot of other people, she wouldn't have been so committed to making it work. She wasn't even quite sure she could pinpoint what was so different about Ed. But even though the going was tough, she couldn't come up with a reason good enough to leave. She wasn't even trying to find one.

"You can come up whenever you want," he said. He wouldn't be wide awake occasionally, but nights like their Titanic night, him horribly exhausted, weren't the norm. "You know, you could stay up there with me...if that'd be easier...than going up and down..."

"How do you mean?" Cha-Cha asked, frowning slightly as she took another bite of pasta. Like...a sleepover? Yeah, they'd done that a couple of time by this point. She didn't realize she needed permission from him still.

The idea had just suddenly come to him, and he didn't know what he was doing. He didn't have something to say planned out ahead of time. "I mean stay with me...permanently." For some reason the words 'live with me' wouldn't come out.

Cha-Cha rose her eyebrows at his suggestion. Permanently? What did he mean by that... "Moving in?" she guessed. Well...that was a relatively huge step. Not literally, she supposed, but in the long run. How long had they been dating...three months? Four? Four. That seemed like a year and a half to her. Compared to the length of her other relationships, it was. No, not even relationships. Nearly everything else had only been a fling, but this...

Was going too fast? She didn't know. This wasn't really where her expertise lay. She knew that the last, and only time she'd ever moved in with a man, she'd ended up alone. Of course, that loneliness was what brought her to him in the first place. What could she say to all this, though? Was it too fast?

It occured to her she wasn't speaking, and she cleared her throat. "Maybe." She didn't want to say no to him. She felt like she'd turned him down too much lately. At the same time, though, what if she wasn't ready and it didn't work out? She cared too much about him to mess things up. Probably more than she'd cared about anyone before.

Which was another huge thing she wasn't sure she wanted to get into right at the moment. One huge thing at a time.

"It was just an idea," he said. And a silly one at that. He'd known her for a while, but had only actually been dating her for a short period of time. "Since we're only a floor apart anyway. But I guess it wouldn't have changed much. I'd still never be home." Though the idea of knowing she'd be there had been attractive... "Never mind," he said with a polite smile. And probably forced, at that.

Cha-Cha sighed, absently twisting a piece of pasta around her fork. She had no intention of eating it, it was just something to do. "Well you don't have to take it off the table completely," she said quietly. It was just a big thing, that was all. Sorry she couldn't;t jump on it right away.

Honestly, she wasn't sure she was ready. And she didn't want to lose him for any reason. Alright, it wasn't totally Will's fault they broke up. Living together put too much stress on both of them. But she felt for Ed alot more than she had for Will. And she was trying hard to make things work, in any way she could. She didn't want to mess things up by skipping ahead.

But on the other hand, she didn't want to mess things up by turning him down. She already was feeling like a bad girlfriend from last week. If she had her feet in the ground...what if he got tired of waiting for her? If she cared more about Ed, then she could stay with him regardless, right? She hadn't been all that attracted to Will. It had more been something she'd put upon herself. In an attempt to grow up, maybe? But he hadn't been the right person to do it with. Ed, though...

"We just need to think about it, is all. It's only been four months, and," she hesitated. "I really care about you," she admitted.

"You're right," he said. He hadn't thought about it himself at all either. It'd popped in his mind and he suggested it then and there. And only four months? It felt like such a long time had passed. He realized that even if you started from that day they met it was hardly eight. Even then it might be considered too soon.

Cha-Cha finally put her fork down. She wasn't really that hungry anymore anyway. "What do you want?" she asked. "Cause the only thing I've got so far is that I want to be with you. Other than that...I'm pretty much clueless."

Ed was surprised by the 'What do you want?' Had he accidentally upset her again? Was he really going to make another evening awkward? The second part stifled the momentary panic. "I want you," he said. His friends had told him he could be overwhelming at times, maybe this was what they meant.

Cha-Cha smiled softly. So they were on the same track. "I want this to work. But I don't even know how fast is too fast, and..." she sighed again. Why were these things so complicated? Everybody already complained about how hard it was to be with someone, she'd never even thought it was going to happen to her. "I don't want to lose you because I'm dragging my feet," she got out finally. More like she didn't want him to get fed up and leave.

He had no intention of leaving any time soon. "I'm not going anywhere," he promised. She could have all the time she needed. She should be sure about a move like that. He wanted her to be sure. "I can be a little trigger happy sometimes." That characteristic may be partly at fault for failed relationships... "But there's no hurry."

"Beg pardon?" Cha-Cha's eyes widened. He was _what_? She knew detectives generally had guns and all, but she didn't realize her life was at risk!

Or maybe she totally misunderstood. She was gonna hope for that one.

What did he say now? "What?"_ Am I seriously going to upset her every time we go out?_

"Trigger happy?" Cha-Cha's smile grew. After a second she realized what he was saying. Just...a man with a gun mentioning triggers set alarms off in her head. No biggie. "Never mind, I think I've got it. I'll think about it, I will. Just gotta make sure we're ready."

Ed laughed and shook his head when he figured out what had gone through her mind. He wouldn't shoot her over something like this. He just meant he tended to jump the gun. Wait...how about a metaphor that didn't involve guns...

He couldn't help chuckling softly to himself about that still as he continued. "Do you want to let me know, or should I ask again?"

"Well, we have to make sure you're ready, too," Cha-Cha added. "Have you lived with someone before?" And how long showers did he take? Did he mind a little clutter, because she could almost guarantee it. Living with her wasn't the easiest, so she'd heard from her past roommates. Stil though...it would be nice, to see each other every day.

She had a point, but he wouldn't dream of bringing it up again unless he was certain.

"I have," he answered. More than one someones, actually. But that wasn't the exact question, so the exact answer was his only. "You?" he asked.

"Ivana and Grace," Cha-Cha reminded him. "And my brother...and my last boyfriend. I take hour-long showers, set my alarm clock way too early, and leave my various drag things all around the house. Enjoy," she laughed softly. Alright, so she wasn't the best roommate. But then again, she could make up for it in other ways.

Ed could see his meticulously kept home disappearing before his eyes. Well, it would definitely gain that lived in look, right? "I don't have drag things, therefore I wouldn't be leaving them around. However, work tends to follow me home. Manila folders find there way to the strangest places..." He thought some more. "I doubt you'd be getting up earlier than me most days, so you'd be the one suffering from alarms. I don't think I could be in the shower longer than thirty minutes even if I tried. Not by myself anyway..."

"I'm sure I can deal with a few folders," Cha-Cha assured him. Her jaw dropped. "You're just trying to give me ideas, aren't you?" she laughed as she tried to think of more of her faults. It was incredibly difficult. "Umm...I absolutely do not cook, so if you're working late...well, you'll either be having cereal for dinner or it'll come in little paper cartons."

Oh, it wouldn't be a few folders. She'd figure that out quickly enough.

"If you stayed out of the kitchen I could do dinner. I mean this in the nicest way possible, babe, but you're distracting." Hey, look, after eight months, a pet name.

Cha-Cha smiled deeply. He'd never called her babe before. Or...really anything other than her name. Suddenly she had the worst urge to kiss him. It was too awkward at the moment with dishes in the way and a table between them. Not to mention they were in a public place, where she was never sure how far she could go. "Have you ever roller skated, Ed?" she had a habit of rolling around rather than walking. It was more fun.

"Uh..." He tried to recall the last time. Was there a last time? Every kid did, right? He seriously sat in thought for over ten seconds. "Probably... but not in the past... two decades?" He was almost afraid to ask, but, "why?"

Cha-Cha just laughed at his reaction. "You'll see," she responded simply. Oh, he would be a fun one to live with. Imagine when he found her cuff links... "so all I have to worry about is some folders?"

"No, but, why spoil the surprise?" Living with an armed neat freak. What could be better? One problem he had to tackle before any moving commenced would be to find a way to prevent Lennie from showing up unannounced. He did that occasionally.

"You're just trying to make me say yes, aren't you? You know I can't stand secrets," Cha-Cha smiled lightly. And she couldn't say he wasn't being successful. Through talking to him she seemed to be convincing herself more and more that it would work. They could live with each other.

Yes. Yes he was. Ed chuckled. "Advertising my biggest character flaws doesn't sound like the way to convince you."

Speaking of secrets...When was the last time he'd checked his watch? Better question, when was the last time either of them actually took a bite of their food? He glanced down. They still had over an hour and a half before it started. The time it took to get to the theatre...still left them with plenty of lingering time. Her mentioning secrets rekindled the anticipation of handing the tickets over.

Cha-Cha smiled, trying to think of what to say. She wanted to tell him yes, she wanted to make him happy. "Maybe probably," she said before she could stop herself. It may have been too fast, but she was still coming up with reasons why it was alright. It would just be a quick walk up the stairs. No big deal. So they'd be living together...what was so bad about that?

Probably was definitely better than maybe. It was closer to yes. He tried to hide a satisfied grin by sipping on his drink. He still needed to come up with an idea of what to do about Lennie...he'd plan that tomorrow. Not wanting to appear too smug, he changed the subject and asked how she had liked her dinner.

"Not bad, considering we just found it off the street. It's hard to mess up pasta, but still," Cha-Cha nodded. Okay, he was sort of getting his way. She hadn't called a moving truck just yet. Not that she'd probably need one. She'd be able to get rid of alot. The TV, the VCR, the bed...she couldn't believe she was considering this.

"Good, I'm glad we tried it." There was some serious debating going on in that head of hers, that was obvious. He found it amusing that the more perplexed she looked meant his side was winning. A waiter appeared with the check and Ed handed over his credit card. One of these days he wanted to hand the check to Cha-Cha, just to see her reaction. He'd take it back of course.

When that was taken care of he asked, "Want to hang around here longer or head for the subway?" The first hint that something was off.

Cha-Cha wasn't sure why they'd need to take a subway. Wasn't there a movie theatre not too far from them? Then again, that had been in the middle of the day. Maybe it was riskier then. He hadn't even been able to hold her hand while the walked. "What time does the movie start?" she asked, reaching around to get her jacket on.

"We've got over an hour," he said. "Can either wait over here or wait over there." He thought about suggesting they could walk through Times Square and look around, but they were both New Yorkers, and assumed they both had been there, done that. Although she wasn't the typical citizen... maybe she didn't get over there much? "You know, keeping stuff from you is killing me," he smiled.

"...And what are you keeping from me?" Cha-Cha asked, fixing him with a look. "No wait, don't tell me, I don't wanna know. No wait, do. No, don't." She squirmed. "We could walk around for a bit."

"That didn't really help," laughed Ed. "But alright, walking around will get my mind off it." He had a feeling she'd want to know within ten minutes. And he wouldn't be able to fight her off. But at least they could both be anxiously awaiting eight o'clock instead of just him.

Cha-Cha nodded, grabbing her purse and standing up slowly. "Course, if you wanted to, we could always skip the move and head back," she added. Hint hint double hint. She didn't want it to get too late before they could spend alot of time together, and it was hard to talk during a movie. And hard to kiss in public. She still had the urge to, ever since 'babe'.

Oh the temptation. "If I didn't already have the tickets in my pocket, we would be half way home by now." It's not like an invitation like that was exactly rare, but, who would turn her down? Seriously?

"Already? That was quick," Cha-Cha commented. Didn't he just decide the movie before they left? Maybe not, maybe he already had it planned. It only made her more curious, but she tried to hold back. She took his hand this time without asking him. Was it really that big a risk? It was later now, and she had an urge to be close to him.

As they left and walked down the street Ed kept her hand in his, but not for long. After a few blocks he found a reason to let go to point at something and didn't return it. One of these days she was going to beat him up for this, he knew, but it was prime spotting time. No one should be in this area, but the least likely of places led to relaxed rules which led to stupid mistakes. The least likely ended up being the most likely and it was just ridiculous.

Cha-Cha sighed as Ed let go, but didn't put any space between them. They couldn't be attached at the hip, but she wasn't acting like she didn't know him. "How's the crime in New York these days?" she asked, otherwise at a loss of what to say.

"Same as always, each criminal is smarter than the last." If people would stop putting crime shows on television, maybe they wouldn't get to many ideas. Who really watched that crap anyway? It wasn't realistic at all. "How's work?"

"Fabulous," Cha-Cha grinned. "If we move in together, you know you're gonna have to meet my girls first. They have to approve," she reminded him. Ivana was already half convinced Ed didn't exist.

"You know on second thought..." he teased. He gave her hand a squeeze to emphasize he was just kidding. But wow, would that be nerve racking. But they were probably similar to her, right? And if she liked him, they would, right? Right. Probably...

"Ed Green, my friends are lovely!" Cha-Cha smacked his arm lightly, laughing. She knew he was kidding, but she also knew her friends were a handful. Like Cha-Cha times four (she was pretty sure Grace was the equivalent of at least two of her). "Least you don't have alot of friends for me to meet," she added, not realizing how that sounded until after she'd said it.

"Excuse me?" he asked, choking on a laugh. "I have plenty, thank you very much." Ed dug around in his pocket. "Just for that, you're uninvited for tonight." He found the tickets and waved them in front of her. "I'll take a different friend."

"Oh now that is cruel! That is too cruel. You have to hang on to the few friends you got, mister! You'll have to find a different friend to move in with you and deal with your...manilla folder-rat-chick flick complex then," she was laughing now, resisting the urge to grab the tickets and look at them. To be honest, she was okay with the manilla-rodent-you've got mail thing. Long as Ed came with it all.

Ed continued to play with the tickets, pretending to pay more attention to them than to her. He hadn't been able to keep it to himself much longer, and that had been a good chance to tease her. Too easy.

Cha-Cha 'hmph'ed, watching him play with the tickets. Somehow she'd been deemed less interesting than a fews slips of paper. What was so exciting about a few tickets anyway?

After a few more seconds she stopped him, leaning in to kiss him deeply. The whole 'in public hands off' thing was now lost on her, she had three main objectives. Kiss him (she'd been wanting to since the restaurant), get his attention back on her, and get her hands on those tickets.

Ed instinctively reacted to her, returning it with equal desire before remembering himself. He gave her hips a light squeeze before taking a step back. A woman passing by looked at them curiously, because that was obviously not how a normal man would respond.

To prevent another angry date, he did get close enough to whisper a promise to continue later. That was when he realized he was no longer in possession of the tickets.

"Baby, I know that I'm more interesting than..." she looked at the tickets. _"title of show. _I actually have a name._ title of show?" _What sort of a name was that? Some director got really lazy, she supposed. She'd never even heard of a movie called that...

It was then she realized that she wasn't holding movie tickets.

What-how did she get them? He'd just had them. Anyway, Ed couldn't help smiling as she read the name, sounding unimpressed at first. It would hit her soon enough.

Ah, there we go. He could tell by her eyes she knew what she was holding.

Cha-Cha looked at him, still a bit of confusion in her eyes. "These are not movie tickets," she commented, taking his hand again. Okay, she was pushing it in public, but her brain wasn't even there at the moment. Her affection for him was growing by the second, she didn't want to walk with a space between them. "What's _title of show? _I think I know, but I want to be sure."

"A musical I thought you might like," he smiled. "I never said we were seeing a movie. I said 'show'." He continued to grip her hand, wanting to give her a minute or two. And enjoy the rewards of what appeared to be a job well done.

"A musical? Like Broadway?" Cha-Cha asked in disbelief. When was the last time she'd seen a Broadway show? There had to have been one...maybe. She'd gone to see Hedwig and the Angry Inch with...well, some ex boyfriend. That was Off-Broadway though, did that count? Either way.

"Yes, like Broadway," he laughed. "It's kind of new, I can't really tell you much about it." He doubted she'd be picky though.

"Ed..." Cha-Cha let go of his hand in order to get an arm around his waist. It wasn't easy while they were walking, but he deserved it. "I can't believe you! But in the best way possible! Does it start soon? Does it--" she paused. "Oh my god, I can't wear this to Broadway!" she exclaimed. Short skirts were fine for a movie theatre and for teasing him, but you needed to have some class in a real theatre. Even she knew that.

He couldn't have told her to follow a dress code without giving something away, but still she looked great at the moment. "Cha-Cha you look fine. I mean we have-" he checked his watch "-over an hour so we could go home first, but really, you look perfect."

"No, Ed, it's different at a Broadway theatre. You have to dress fancy," Cha-Cha instructed him as though he'd never been to a show before. She'd been to one, and it made her feel like quite the expert. "Lets head back, it won't take long. I just need to...readjust some things," she decided. Like make sure her skirt went to her knees at least. As much as she was sure he enjoyed the view. That was the other thing, it was harder to be closer to him in public, and she absolutely needed to be at the moment. Just for a few minutes.

"'It won't take long' she says," Ed smirked. But to their apartment they headed anyway. He had a feeling that short skirt was disappearing soon, so he made sure to take advantage of the view as much as he could during the walk.

"It _won't _take long!" she promised, totally unaware of his wandering eyes. Her mind was on a couple other things at the moment. It was no secret she was beyond excited by this point, both by the musical and by him. She took his hand again when they got on to their street, walking a bit faster towards the apartment.

She'd been just as excited as he had imagined, and he was loving it. When she was happy, he was happy. When she was upset, he feared for his life. Only partly joking...

They arrived at Cha-Cha's apartment, Ed following her in with one last look at her legs.

As soon as the door was close though, she forgot her clothes for a minute to wrap her arms around his waist. If Ed was in Cha-Cha's good books on a regular day, he was even higher than that today. He was in her...she...was probably half in love with him.

Well, probably more than that, but she hadn't realized it yet.

He had no reason to fight her off in here. Ed pulled her as close as possible, kissing her hungrily. If only he could grab her like this wherever they went... show off to the world that this amazing person was his without worrying about his career. "If you need help changing, I'm here for you," he said, grinning and playing with the hem of her shirt.

Cha-Cha sighed deeply, her arms moving up around his neck. If he hadn't had Broadway tickets in his pocket, they would've already been in the bedroom. "Later, I promise," she mumbled when she could get words out. Just because they couldn't do that at the moment didn't mean she wouldn't take the time they had. "I will hold you to that later," she added before kissing him again.

Ed's grin grew as he let her go. "Good. Now go on and change or...whatever you have to do." Girls. Can't take them anywhere without a wardrobe change first. He was tempted to follow, but if he was called perv for simply enjoying her skirts, he could only imagine what she'd hurl at him for watching her undress. That continued to baffle him. There wasn't an inch of her he hadn't seen by now. He inwardly sighed. Girls.

Cha-Cha touched his cheek affectionately, kissing him gently before disappearing into her bedroom. She'd promised five minuted, and it only took her a little over ten. What could she say? You had to be classy at a theatre, and as it turned out, she had very few skirts that were longer than her knee. Eventually she came back out, twirling for him quickly. No, it wasn't a short skirt, but it was one of the only dresses she had that would come close. Not too pagenty and not too trashy. Surprising considering most of her wardrobe was either one or the other. Sometimes both, when she felt like being an overachiever.

"Perfect," Ed said, saying it both because he thought that was true and also thought that any other answer may send her back to the closet again. He felt he was fine as well. After all, he had to look professional on a daily basis. Even on days off he was in the groove, and couldn't bring himself to ever wear jeans in public again.

Cha-Cha beamed, coming towards him again. Every time she kissed him, it messed her lipstick up just a bit more. But she couldn't possible help herself. "Do you have to change?" she asked, her arms back around his neck.

Ed looked down. His normal business attire. Hey, he had a tie and everything. "I'm good," he decided. "Ah oh, don't start that again or we'll never get out of here," he laughed, reaching for her hands to peel her off of him.

Letting go of Ed was the last thing Cha-Cha wanted to do, but she knew he was right. There was no way they were missing the musical, and after awhile they may not have been able to stop. "I just need to put more lipstick on...thanks alot," she added with a grin, fully aware she was the one to kiss him each time.

"Anytime," he chuckled. Soon they were on their way, and Ed realized he'd forgotten how hectic subways could be. He'd been driving too much, he supposed.

"I can never figure these things out," Cha-Cha grumbled as they headed through the terminal. Just a big mess of lines, and they were supposed to be maps? And as much as she loved a little colour, it would be helpful if there was an easy way of figuring out. How did a pink solid line differ from a blue dotted one from a thin green one? If she were in charge they would probably end up in Canada. She trusted Ed though. He was a detective, he knew where they were going.

After the initial 'oh yeah it's crowded down here' sunk in, he was right at home. A true New Yorker. He got them there in no time, and was relieved to breathe fresh air again.

Regular people had family reunions, drag queens had Broadway. Watching the marquees go by, she felt like she was seeing relatives, lots of people she hadn't seen in a long long time. While she couldn't afford to see too many shows, she definitely heard about it from others. When they could brave the subways they would walk along Broadway and pretend they were going to see one of the shows--one of the really good ones, not one of those pretentious pieces. She hadn't been in awhile though and there was alot she didn't recognize. "Where is it? I didn't even know it was a Broadway show..." she added. She was still wondering why it didn't have a title.

"Lyceum Theatre," he answered. "Little further up and over." Ed pointed up the street slightly. It wasn't in a theatre everyone knew, like the Palace or Nederlander or Majestic. But he didn't feel like watching people spell or pay fifty bucks to watch a Disney movie, so title of show had won.

Cha-Cha was obviously beyond excited, pushing a curl behind her ear and grasping his hand. Not like anyone he knew would be around Broadway. Even if they were, they could say...he...was helping the blind or something. She was too excited to walk normally down the street.

Ed was thinking the opposite, actually. Times Square and the surrounding area was packed with people, why wouldn't someone be around? But he couldn't kill her mood, however worried he was. She was going to be the death of him, honestly. Still Ed kept a firm hold on her hand.

"Have you seen a show before?" she asked him as they headed down. She was keeping her eyes open for the right marquee. Would it actually say title of show up there? That would look strange among the others. Why would anybody go see it if that was all they had to go on? That was her thought anyway.

"Yeah I've been to a few." More often than he'd admit to her, but at least now she'd be joining him, right? He didn't want to rub in the fact he could get down here more. He had a feeling the sign wouldn't be flashing, or on a huge theatre. It struck him as one to stay in a more modest building.

"I only ever saw one with my boyfriend before. Not you, one of the ones I've got on the side," Cha-Cha couldn't resist, trying to hide her grin. "Nothing like this though. Not like a real Broadway musical..." she suddenly felt like a very bad performer. Well not honestly, she had three crowns to prove it. But still.

Ed gave her a look, shaking his head. "I'm glad I could top him." Pretending to believe her, he asked, "What else am I up against?" Maybe get ideas for their next outing.

"I love how unthreatened you are by all this! I could potentially be whisked off my feet by some other guy and you worry about competition," she giggled. Cha-Cha considered mentioning how another guy would walk down the street with his arm around her, but thought better of it in the nick of time. That wasn't fair. Brain censors; one, blabbermouth; five hundred. It was getting closer! "My other boyfriends take me to shows that have names. Hard to top that one."

"It _has _a name, it's _title of show. _And wouldn't you consider being confident better than paranoid?" he asked with a half smile. "I can start calling hourly to see where you are, who you're with, what you're doing..." Keep in mind, he did have connections. "I could also bug your phone, have a uniform outside the apartment at all times making sure you go in and out alone..." And much more. But he trusted her enough to not worry.

"That's not a name! That's the director getting writer's block!" Cha-Cha protested. She shook her head, laughing. "You just don't seem too worried about losing me to somebody else. Maybe this was your plan all along!" she wasn't even sure she was making sense anymore, but she was laughing and that was what mattered to her at the moment.

"_Should _I be worried about losing you to somebody else?" He said it lightly, but if she kept insisting he ought to, maybe he would worry. He didn't really follow what his plan was supposed to be, her laughter was taking up most of his attention. She really lit up when she laughed this hard.

Cha-Cha couldn't pretend and say she'd been totally faithful to every boyfriend she'd ever had. If there was nothing there, she wouldn't try and create something. "No. No, I don't think so," she decided, squeezing his hand. Of course she'd always have her wandering eye and she would always flirt, but to actually leave him for someone else? Ed was different than alot of people she'd dated before. The fact she wanted to take things slow with him, the fact she wasn't willing to risk what they had spoke for itself. Being with Ed made her feel too good to drop it for someone else. As scary in a way as that was.

He nodded. He'd take her word for it. "That's why I'm not worried." Although she could have kept the word 'think' out of that answer. It was then they arrived at their theatre. Yes, the posters did say title of show.

"So what's this show about anyway? I didn't get it from the ever so descriptive title," Cha-Cha grinned. Apparently the joke to her just didn't get old. The posters weren't too helpful either, though. Running feet? Where did Ed discover these things?

"It's a musical about two guys trying to write a musical about two guys trying to write a musical." Awkward silence. "It's original?" he tried.

Cha-Cha blinked. Already it was over her head. "Okay baby," she patted his hand gently. A musical about a musical about two...no. Well, she'd have to be able to figure it out when they were watching, right? Or she could talk to Ed all through it. Either way!

"You are in no position to be picky," he smirked. At least she was down here. "It's supposed to be hilarious, and besides, it's the last show anyone at work would think to see." Hint hint get in there and he can hold her.

"I'm sold," Cha-Cha got the hint. As much as she understood his position, she loved the times they could be together in public too. Like, really together. Not with an inch separating them. Even if it was the most convoluted play in the world, it was on Broadway and she was with her man. Good enough.

title of show had just arrived on Broadway after a short Off-Broadway run. Not many had heard of it, and it's obscure title and plot description made people question if it was worth seeing. Lennie definitely would shrug it off. Well, he hated musicals anyway, but if he didn't he wouldn't be sitting in here. Those who hadn't seen it assumed it was pointless, but those who had swore it was one of the greatest and most original new shows. Wow, an original musical! "It was this or Disney," he added, slipping an arm around her as they started to go in. They could linger inside out of view from the street.

"Not a Disney fan?" Cha-Cha asked, happy now with his arm around her. Neither was she particularly. Well, some of it was pretty good. "Not even Hunchback? Sleeping Beauty?"

"Well some are alright," he agreed. He'd seen a good deal while watching his niece. "But paying ridiculous prices to see a show I already know the ending to?" Yeah right.

"I know!" Cha-Cha exclaimed in total understanding. She hated the people who spoiled movies for other people. Especially if she'd already paid to see it. As much as she loved her girls, they just didn't know when to shut their mouths sometimes. "I almost got Titanic spoiled for me, I could have killed Grace."

"I believe it," he laughed. Apparently coming between Cha-Cha and Titanic was hazardous to your health. "And I also believe that despite your reaction to the title, you'll actually like this one."

"Well, I'll take your word for it. And if I don't we'll just have to come back," Cha-Cha grinned, only half serious. She wouldn't mind seeing a Broadway show once every couple years, and she wouldn't mind going with him. Looking out the window quickly, she wrapped an arm around him. "You're sure this place is clear? Nobody you know?" she double-checked.

"I've never been here, so it isn't one hundred percent on my good list, but I can't imagine why anyone would be here." Although maybe getting away from windows would be good. Just in case, you know? "Why, are you feeling nervous?" They could sit down if the lobby wasn't a comfortable place.

"Just making sure," Cha-Cha assured him. The more comfortable they were, the closer she could get to him. Nodding her head, she led him towards a bench that was farther from the window. Once the lights were down in the theatre they'd both feel good. "Don't wanna have to worry about that tonight."

Ed kissed the top of her head affectionately before they sat down on the bench. "I think we're okay," he smiled, "so no worrying." It was a nice change, this theatre group. No one gave them a rude or shocked look, not even at Cha-Cha. She did attract a few approving glances, but Ed distracted her so she'd look the other way. So maybe he was greedy for attention. Sue him.

Cha-Cha sighed contentedly, putting her hand in his as they waited. She liked it when they were in public together, sometimes. They weren't on top of each other like at the movies, but it was nice to just sit peacefully with him. "I can live with that. How much longer?" she was visibly excited, one leg crossed over the other and her foot swinging.

"Probably twenty minutes..." She was holding the hand with the watch at an angle he couldn't read. Had no idea really. "So..." Ed searched for something to say. "Anything interesting the past few days?" He hadn't been around much.

"Nothing to report detective. I got a new skirt and tried new shampoo. All very interesting to you, I'm sure," she giggled, lacing her fingers through his. Alright, so her daily life couldn't compare to what he saw everyday. But he'd probably come to realize that by then.

"As long as you're _in _the skirt, I'm interested," he grinned. "I could also find ways to be interested in the new shampoo too, but this really isn't the place to discuss that." But he could imagine, and his eyes already had a playfully creative glint. Ah, to be home in the shower...

"So you want me to be fully clothed? I can do that," Cha-Cha giggled, squeezing his hand. She knew what he meant, but it was too fun to tease him. Raising an eyebrow at his other suggestion, she laughed again. "Do you want your hair to smell like watermelon, too?"

Ed rolled his eyes. "Yes Cha-Cha, that is exactly what I want." If his hair ever smelled like watermelon, he'd shoot himself. Or Lennie would. They had the means! It was strictly unscented for this detective. A fruity smell could give one ideas, and he already had enough to worry about. And there was just something about guns and fruit that didn't go together.

"Oh Eddie. Maybe if you had a fruity aroma, I'd get in the shower with you in the first place. Would it be worth it?" Cha-Cha asked, holding in a laugh. It was a win-win. If he said yes, she got to prettify him (not that she actually would, but he would have give her permission). If he said no...well, that idea he had before would pretty much go down the tubes.

Trapped. Unfair. How cruel. "I guess." If that's what it took to see her hot, wet, and naked... But she'd pay for it later.

"Love the enthusiam," Cha-Cha laughed, leaning in to kiss his cheek. He didn't need to worry; Cha-Cha liked her men to be men. Fruity aromas and bright colours were not needed. It was to much fun to see him squirm, though.

"Hey, how would you feel if I asked you to be in a suit and tie next time I saw you?" Oh wow. That would be something wouldn't it? Very different, but now that he thought about it she could definitely pull that off as well as a dress...

"Simple. You wouldn't. Because you know I hate it and I wouldn't look very good anyway. I wouldn't be wearing shorts you know, you'd pretty much be surrendering your view," Cha-Cha reminded him. Apparently she hadn't realized that he was joking. And that she'd suggested the equivalent to him.

"Now think about that, and what you asked me, and tell me what you come up with," he smiled. But she did have a point. No visible legs? That wouldn't do.

"I don't follow." Cha-Cha went over it in her mind. Okay, it might be semi gender bending for him to be fruity. "That's different! You had a promise of shower sex. I hear nothing in it for me," she teased, though she got his point.

"What about the satisfaction of knowing you made me happy?" he asked with a laugh. Not that he'd die if she didn't or anything. It had just been the first thing he thought of that she'd hate to do.

"Baby, I've broken up with a bunch of boyfriends because they suggested that exact thing." Cha-Cha knew he wasn't serious, but the fact remained. Or she'd been dumped because of it; her first boyfriend got freaked out when she told him about the drag. She did know he was playing around though. If Ed had some sort of problem he wouldn't have dated Starr, right?

"I don't doubt it, Cha-Cha," he said, hugging her closer to him. "I wouldn't dream of seriously asking you." He was just saying let him be the guy, she be the girl, and all would be well.

"I know that," Cha-Cha assured him, but didn't pass up getting closer to him. Who would? If Ed Green were hugging anybody and pulling them close, they wouldn't resist him. Not that anybody would get that close to Ed while Cha-Cha was around, but hypothetically. "Don't you worry either, hon. I like you 'straight' guys," she added with a grin.

Ed chuckled. "Good. But just so you know, if it comes down to me doing something stupid to keep you around, I'll be willing to jump through some hoops." Not literal hoops, but she probably knew the phrase. But if jumping through an actual hoop was the problem...that'd be ridiculous but he probably would still do it anyway.

Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow, intrigued. That was both sweet and useful information. Cuddling against him gently, she just grinned. "I'll remember that," she promised, kissing him softly.

"Don't _abuse _that," he added. That would not work for every little thing she wanted. He meant if it came down to her leaving or him changing something major, he'd consider giving in. 'Stupid' probably hadn't been the best word.

"Who me? Why would I ever do that?" Cha-Cha asked innocently, the laughter obvious in her eyes. She wouldn't make him do anything embarrassing of physically painful. But it was nice to know she had him wrapped around her finger.

"I can only imagine." Ed leaned back against the bench, glancing at his watch as he did so. Five minutes or so before they should hunt for their seats.

Cha-Cha laughed, kissing his cheek gently. It was nice to do that and not get any stares. If anything, they were getting a couple looks. And not evil eyes, either. Theatre people were so liberal and nice! "Baby, I'm a nice person. I'll only make you do things if I think I'll benefit from it."

"You're too kind." That didn't exactly calm some worries, but it was his fault for telling her that. It was true though, and he already gave in much more than he should. He was turning into a pushover, save him!

"What time is it now?" she persisted, trying to look at her watch. She'd forgotten how excited she was, but now that it was back, she couldn't wait any longer. Twenty minutes had to have passed, right??

Ed told her. "We should go in and find our seats," he said. They were front row balcony and he hoped she appreciated them. He preferred that to orchestra, which everyone else battled for. That was on the floor and you had to look up over heads of the audience in front of you, and you couldn't always see the entire stage well. Being higher in the balcony allowed you to view it all, and no obnoxious heads in the way.

Cha-Cha nodded, standing up and taking his hand. Her legs were jumpy and she just wanted to see the show already. It was a real Broadway show, she was surprised she'd lasted so long. Of course, he had distracted her. Nevertheless, her eyes went wide at the size of the theatre as they headed in.

Ed grinned. Good, she was enjoying it and not harping on the funny name still. He asked for directions to their spot so they didn't waste time wandering around.

"Where are we sitting?" she asked, looking around. Cha-Cha had naturally assumed their tickets weren't all that great. When she saw Hedwig they were at the very back of the theatre. Then again, that guy was stingy, anyway.

"We need to go up a flight of stairs, and...left did she say?" They'd have to check the numbers when they got upstairs. It ended up being slightly to the right. Figures. But it was practically center. His wallet hadn't been happy, but he hoped she would be.

"We're so close!" Cha-Cha exclaimed. She was indeed happy. Half of her had been expecting to get crammed at the back of the theatre. "This is so much better from when I saw Hedwig! Our seats were so bad, it looked like Hedwig and Tommy were never on stage together," she told him, laughing to herself.

"I'm glad you like it," he smiled. A job well done indeed. "It should be starting any minute now..." People were filing in from the lobby, and already some shushing had begun.

"Exciting!" she said in a loud whisper, leaning forward to look closer. No big heads in the way! Always a plus. She wouldn't had to have sat in his lap...which actually would've been okay. But this was better.

"Don't fall over the railing," he laughed, "I'm not going over after you. Jack may have jumped after Rose, but I'd take the stairs. And I just sat down..." He was not in the mood for stairs.

"Thank you for caring so much about my well being. I'm a splat on the floor and you're moaning about exercise," Cha-Cha tried not to laugh too loud, though sure enough she got some looks. Rolling her eyes, she resisted the urge to do something rude. Sticking ones middle finger up on Broadway wasn't very classy.

Ed laced his fingers with hers. "I'm just kidding," he smiled. "You fall, I jump, okay?" Although considering he now had a good hold on her, she could lean over just as far as she wanted.

"You jump, I jump," Cha-Cha corrected him. Then again, she wasn't really planning on jumping off the edge. Not unless the show really was that confusing! Not honestly. She'd rather jump on him. "Remember?"

"I know but are you saying you'd intentionally jump off? I was hoping if you went over it'd be on accident." He was trying to go for a more positive version. No suicide please.

"Well, aren't you creative, changing the quotes like that," Cha-Cha teased, squeezing his hand. "Can we just sit here side by side? Maybe with your arm around me in case I was cold or something," she suggested, getting as close to him as the seats would allow.

"Sure." Ed put his arm around her like she asked. This wasn't a romantic comedy, or even that much of a romance plot at all, but he was confident she'd find something she'd like in it. Or she'd be able to find a way to turn it into a love story. Some women had that amazing power.

Cha-Cha beamed, brushing her lips against his in a soft kiss before the show started. Then, all bets were off. As distracting as Ed could be sometimes, it would take alot to draw her away from a real Broadway show. There would be time for kissing and other things later on. Even though she knew the play could be confusing, she was really trying to keep up.

As it was ending, Ed could feel her grip tightening throughout the song 9 People's Favorite Thing. He'd take that as a good sign. She was clinging like no other at the end of Titanic, so light clinging now means she's enjoying it?

Cha-Cha hadn't even noticed she was gripping him, she was so engrossed in the show. She couldn't wait to see the musical they put on. And would Jeff and Hunter ever surrender to their obvious sexual tension?

She wasn't expecting the lights to go up.

Ed blinked slowly as he adjusted to the light. Turning to her he asked, "What'd you think?" The unspoken question, 'How did I do?'

"It was really good! Um," Cha-Cha paused. "Is it...coming back on? They forgot to show the musical," she laughed lightly. The one they spent the whole musical writing. They couldn't;t seriously end it there, could they?

"No, it's over hun, sorry. Maybe they'll make a sequel for you, and put on the show." He instinctively reached for a jacket, forgetting he had left without one. The journey home might get chilly. That was something to look forward to, wasn't it, he thought with a slight grin.

Cha-Cha's smile widened at 'hun'. It took four months for him to ever use anything other than her name. Somehow, it made it nicer than if he'd started out that way. Like it was more special, or something. "We'll write an angry letter. But not too angry, I liked the fragment they showed."

Ed stood, smiling at the thought of writing a letter. On blank paper. Ha, blank paper... Original Musical, Jeff talking to Blank Paper, had been his favorite. "So a polite angry letter. Got it."

Cha-Cha stood as well, taking his hand and pulling her purse over his shoulder. She wasn't sure how much longer they'd get to be close. "Thank you, baby," she said softly, leaning up to kiss him before they started walking. Just to make the most of it.

Ed wrapped an arm around her waist as they headed for the stairs. He estimated two minutes before they would be outside, and he wasn't going to let go of her a second early. "Favorite character?" he asked.

"Jeff I think. He and Hunter need to admit their feelings for each other in the sequel. Add that to the letter," Cha-Cha instructed. It was so obvious! No, Cha-Cha was not seeing only what she wanted to see. Well...maybe a little bit.

"I agree. One too many hints." Okay, even Ed had seen that too. After avoiding a few wandering theatergoers, they were at the front doors. Ed removed his arm from her waist, opening the door for an excuse to take a step or two away. When she exited, he fell in stride beside her.

Cha-Cha tried to hide her disappointment as he let go of her. Okay, it couldn't really be disappointment. She'd known it had to happen. And they'd be home soon, anyway. But still...it would be nice to keep his arm around her, even a hand in her hand. She sighed.

The sigh didn't go unnoticed, but Ed kept on a smile and asked her another question. Having a conversation going would make the time go by faster. If no one threatening looking was on the subway, he'd take her hand again.

"Did you like it?" Cha-Cha asked after answering his question. It was obvious she was into it, but she hadn't noticed if he was or not. It was hard to take her eyes off the Broadway play. Impressive, considering he was usually the centre of her attention.

"I really did," he replied. "It was one of the more believable musicals I've seen. And it was really funny, and humor wins me over easily."

"How many have you seen?" Cha-Cha asked, looking over her shoulder at Broadway. Saying good bye. Or see you later. Depending on how generous Ed decided to be, because there was no way she could get there on her own. Not very often, anyway. Besides, she wouldn't want to go without him.

"A few," he said, avoiding the number. Again, not wanting to rub in the fact he could come here more often. But she would able to see more now, that he'd make sure of. The past four months he'd been overcome by an unfamiliar desire. Could it be a desire to please? In Ed?

"Which one's your favourite?" Cha-Cha asked. She hadn't heard that many, but she may be able to recognize it. As they headed down the subway stairs, she took his hand again. "It's late, nobody's down here," she assured him quietly.

His favorite. Hmm. "Possibly_ title of show, _because it's probably the funniest... But uh, hmm. I'd have to say_ tick, tick...BOOM! _if not tonight's."

"I don't think I've heard of that one," Cha-Cha thought to herself as she bounced down the stairs. Checking around, she whispered, "All clear?" before thinking about that again. It must have been more recent. It must not have had a movie adaptation yet.

Ed glanced around. A few teens and a homeless man. "We're fine. And it didn't really get big," he explained. "Not like it's sister show, anyway. But I liked it. The songs were really well written, and the characters were believable..."

"I haven't even heard of it," Cha-Cha admitted sheepishly. Then again, her friends usually went for the lavish productions, rather than a sort of indie , simple show. They probably wouldn't even go for _title of show_. They'd be missing out though. She kept her hand on his as they went through the gate and she sat down on the bench, waiting for the train to roll in.

"Eh, no one has," he laughed. "Do you know what time it is?" asked Ed, too lazy to check his own watch. He didn't work tomorrow, did he tell her that yet?

"Let me check." Cha-Cha lifted up his arm, looking at the watch on his wrist before dropping it. "A bit past eleven. Are you tired?" she added. Whether he was or he wasn't, he'd promised he'd stay awake after.

"No, just wondering." He remembered his promise, and was looking forward to it immensely. "You're not, are you?" he asked, standing as the subway train appeared. "Getting past your bedtime, little girl?" Ed hadn't teased her about that for awhile.

Cha-Cha laughed, raising an eyebrow. "Mmm. You know, on second though, I could probably just fall asleep once we get in. I'm worn out." She forced a loud yawn as she sat down on the car.

"I don't think so," he chuckled. One of them owed the other a shower, among other things. If he could stay awake, she could too. But he knew that playful tone. No worries.

Cha-Cha giggled, kissing his cheek. Not where she wanted to kiss him most, but she still wasn't sure how far to take it at the moment. There were a few other people on the car; not many but at least six or seven. "We can sleep in tomorrow. Or I can, anyway," she teased him.

"Oh, I didn't tell you I don't work tomorrow?" he asked casually, as if it happened everyday. And we all know it definitely did not happen everyday.

"No kidding?" Cha-Cha asked with raised eyebrows. She leaned in to kiss him, forgetting about the other people for a minute. When was the last time they spent a whole day together? Like, never. Well, not never, but not often enough.

"No kidding. So I have all night, which means for once I'm not going to sleep early, which also means you aren't either." And that was that. He kissed her softly, because anything else would only make him more desperate to be home.

Cha-Cha laughed, returning the kiss slowly. "I like your logic. If math was anything like that, I'd have probably payed attention," she smirked. It was pretty obvious that they were getting stares from some of the other people in the car, not all of them approving. She tried to ignore it.

Ed rarely had an audience when on a date. It was a strange feeling. But it intrigued his curious side, and he couldn't help wondering what their reaction would be to different things. If he kissed her like this, held her like that...He ended up breaking some of his own rules concerning this type of behavior.

Cha-Cha was surprised by his actions, but definitely didn't protest. To think she'd been hesitant to kiss his cheek. Sighing, she shifted in her seat to better face him, placing her hands on his shoulders. Apparently the deeper things got, the more interested other people became. Interesting. Others were trying to look away from them, obviously feeling awkward. Things like that only spurred Cha-Cha on.

Ed realized he was sending mixed signals about how to act in public. I won't hold your hand on the sidewalk but I'll make out with you on the subway? But in his opinion, there was a method to the madness. Anyone could see them on the street, but here they'd already established that none of the fellow passengers were a danger. As long as they paid attention when it slowed and more got on, in theory it would be okay.

He never had this problem before. If he had a Mark or Joe or Steve beside him they'd just chat like old friends. One would have their arms crossed, the other with his hands shoved in his pockets or playing with his watch. They could wait til they were behind closed doors to even brush each others hand. Clear boundaries were set and followed.

With Cha-Cha though...well, she was just too addictive. "We really shouldn't be doing this." But he was still only an inch from her lips and his hand was moving to the back of her neck.

Cha-Cha sighed, closing her eyes. He was bound to want to pull away. Even though there really was no one on the subway--no one he knew anyway. There may have been some nasty comments but nothing they couldn't deal with. Or at least, nothing she hadn't heard before. It occurred to her that he probably wasn't used to the insults she was. But was that the reason? He had to have had tougher skin than that.

"Then stop," she told him softly. Maybe they shouldn't have been doin it, but Cha-Cha wouldn't be the one to pull away.

Ed kissed her briefly, and made an effort to stay close afterward. "Hey now," he said lightly, "I said that we shouldn't, not that we aren't." As for comments, he'd been called worse while on the job for different reasons. "It's not as easy as 'stop' when you're next to me."

Cha-Cha returned the kiss, a smile returning to her face. She'd hoped he wouldn't stop. Being addicting to him wasn't something she could complain about. She got closer to him, as well as she could anyway, wrapping her arms around him. The more he kissed her, the more she wanted to be at home. Making innocent people uncomfortable wasn't so bad either, though.

Before long they were standing up and climbing stairs to the street. A few minutes more and they'd be in their building. He was relieved, the way he was acting tonight...he was just begging to be found out.

Ed pounced on her the minute the apartment's elevators doors closed.

Somehow the button for Ed's floor had been pushed, but there hadn't been much time for her to do it. Cha-Cha kissed him hard, her arms moving up to wrap around her neck. She liked Ed like this, she decided. When he barely cared who was watching. Granted they were the only ones in the elevator, but there had been others on the subway.

Ed heard the ding announcing their arrival. He reached out with an arm, feeling along the wall until he'd found the open door. His other was looped around her waist. "Whose floor?" he asked, moving to get off while keeping as much of her against him as possible. Trying to walk like that was harder than it sounded. Give him a break, he'd made it through dinner and the show reasonably well.

"Yours" Cha-Cha replied, trying to hold in a laugh. It was amazing what a few weeks could do to them. They had gone so many months before they ever went beyond kissing; now keeping it clean was an effort for them. She sort of liked it that way better.

Ed seconded that. He tried to keep his desire for her under control, he really did, but it was impossible. Door opened, door closed, home.

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_SEND OPERATIC FAN MAIL. SHE PLAYS CHA-CHA FABULOUSLY. If you haven't seen Ed's last episode, check it out. After a few threads it will become our main plot. We both have seen it, and we are writing it without plugging in all the details. I recommend watching it :)_

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	10. My Alibi

_A/N: In preparing for Ed's last episode, we originally thought (and therefore planned on) Ed needing an alibi for a crime he was accused of committing. Once we watched the episode we realized the story wasn't what the commercial made it look like and it wasn't necessary, but we kept the title anyway. Just a quick fact for ya. _

Oh, on that note, if you haven't seen **Jesse L. Martin/Ed Green's last episode**, be warned that in the following chapters we follow as close to that storyline as possible. **SPOILERS**. Giving you a heads up in case you don't want to read our version before you see it. I believe we get it starting after the next two chapters.

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My Alibi

Ed didn't believe it. He couldn't have drifted off to sleep until at least past three, and his internal alarm woke him up at seven thirty. It wasn't fair. And it wasn't that awake where you blink a few times and you're out again, he felt wide awake. Yet...tired at the same time. It was not a normal or pleasant feeling.

Cha-Cha appeared to be sleeping soundly at least. Though he often tried to sneak out of bed without waking her, they'd had a particularly long night. He'd lay there bored and let her doze as long as she could.

Cha-Cha was breathing deeply, oblivious to anything else in the world. While she was usually up by ten, she didn't often stay up till three thirty. Plus Ed had been over, adding to her exhaustion. Maybe today she'd sleep in to eleven. It wouldn't be particularily hard.

About a half hour passed before she shifted into Ed a bit, rolling onto her other side to face him.

Ed couldn't tell if she was actually awake, or just blinking hello before nodding off again. "If you're awake, you don't want to be. Go back to sleep if you can."

"Don' tell me what I wan'," Cha-Cha mumbled sleepily. Still stubborn, even when she was half dead. Regardless, pretty soon she'd taken his advice and dropped back to sleep for another hour or so. She'd moved a hand to rest on his heart, and it wasn't clear whether she wanted to be closer, or if she was trying to make him stay.

Whatever one she wanted she got. Even if he couldn't sleep, he'd relax as much as he could. Ed entertained himself by dancing his fingers along her arm or massaging her back. Even if she couldn't feel it now, it'd feel great when she woke up. When he checked the clock it informed him it was a quarter after nine. _This should have been when I was waking up, and I would have complained about it then too._

Finally, at about nine thirty, Cha-Cha began to stir. She wasn't moving too awfully fast, but she grumbled a bit anyway. That disappeared as she felt a warm hand on her back, and her aggrivation disappeared in a long sigh. "Morning baby," she whispered, her eyes not opening just yet.

"Morning. Up for good this time?" he asked. Ed was running out of things to do to. His spoiled lover had gotten an hour long back rub.

"Mmm, maybe. Probably," Cha-Cha nodded her head, finally blinking her eyes open. She felt disgusting, but it was alright. Reaching up to rub the sleep out of her eye, she bit back a yawn. "What time do you gotta go in today?"

"I don't work today, remember? I'd already be gone if I did. And last night would have been much shorter." Since she was awake, he assumed he was allowed to move now. He scooted toward the edge of the bed, carefully moving her off of him as he did so.

Cha-Cha moaned and turned her head to look at the time. Damn, it was early. It was to be expected, but it would have nice to get a couple more hours. One Ed Green kept her up way past bedtime. The same Ed Green who was currently getting out of bed. "Where are you going then?" she whined, lazilly opening her arms for him to come back. Or lift her out of bed. Hopefully the former.

"I've been laying here for two and a half hours trying not to wake you up," he laughed. "I need to get up and stretch." Maybe a drink or something too, since he was up. With her arms like that, she looked like a cute little kid asking to get picked up. He smiled, but he couldn't really take her everywhere, right? Ten feet wouldn't kill her. "I'll be back," Ed promised.

Cha-Cha was tempted to complain a bit more, but he was already out the door before she could work up the energy to whine. Sighing deeply, she laid in bed for a moment before slowly getting herself up. There would be no more sleeping once she was up, not to mention she was cold. Grabbing her pajama pants, she slid them on and shuffled into the kitchen.

Ed turned and saw her slowly following after. "I said I'd be back, you didn't have to get up." He felt bad. Opening his fridge, he scowled at the selections. He was not in a milk or orange juice mood. Shutting it, he decided coffee would win. Needed to wake up anyway.

Cha-Cha had been too tired to listen to him. "Well 'm up now. Plus I was cold," she added, gesturing down to her legs. Amazing, she could wear a short skirt outside all through winter, but she got a chill if she laid in bed naked for too long. Cha-Cha was nothing if not an original.

"Coffee help?" he asked. Or a hug. Either one was available. He leaned against the counter. "So, got anything planned for today, or can you stay up awhile? I forgot to tell you to plan for staying over." That would have given away even more.

"Mm," Cha-Cha nodded her head, rubbing a bit of sleep out of her eye. After a second, she got up the effort to sit on his counter. No short skirt meant it was safe for her to do, without giving him ideas. "Nothing going on today. I know to leave the day after our dates fairly open," she added with a smirk.

"Even though most days I leave early?" he wondered. Although he had stopped trying to hard to make it to work on time. If Lieu wanted to jerk him around, he'd stop trying to be so perfect. So he appreciated her leaving mornings after open. He'd start taking more advantage of that...

"You tire me out," Cha-Cha teased. If she were supposed to go see Ivana and Grace right then, she would never be able to keep up. Coffee was helpful, but then she crashed when she drank too much. "Plus, if you maybe sort of possibly wanted to come back later on..." she added, running a finger along the swirly pattern on her pajamas.

"I always want to come back," he smiled. Just a matter of whether or not he could. But like he said before, if Lieu was going to be like that... no more showing up before eight. And he wished people would stop killing each other so he could leave early. Really.

Cha-Cha returned his smile, and opened her arms again. No, the counter wasn't as comfortable as the bed was. But Ed was still just as warm and inviting, and she needed a hug. Maybe a kiss, too, to wake her up. Just to wake her up, of course. No other reasons at all.

Ed was more than happy to wander over and wrap his arms around her waist. "What do you want to do today?" he asked, not really wondering. Just wanted to chase the quiet away.

"This is kinda nice," Cha-Cha admitted. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her, kissing him softly. Okay, maybe not just staying right as they were all day. But it felt like a lazy day. All she wanted to do was relax with him and think of nothing.

"Are we really that lazy?" laughed Ed before kissing her again. His hands moved from her waist to her sides, traveling around where they pleased. Ed pulled her against him firmly just as he heard a banging on the door.

"Ed!" called a familiar voice.

The detective's head whipped around to look at the door. Speechless, he turned back to Cha-Cha, eyes widening.

So much for thinking of nothing. Cha-Cha jumped, not expecting the interruption. "Who's that?" she asked quietly meeting Ed's eyes. Whoever it was, she could tell it wasn't good. He looked...almost frightened. Without another word, she pushed him back, hopping off the counter. If she needed to hide...she'd understand.

Ed's voice failed when he tried to answer her. Moving toward the door, he called in disbelief, "Lennie?"

"'Course Lennie, what are you sounding so surprised for?" his partner replied sarcastically. "How many friends you got?" He meant it all in good fun, but Ed wasn't ready for jokes.

Ed didn't need to say another word. Cha-Cha was already half way to his bedroom and she shut the door as soon as she got in. What was he doing there? Maybe he just liked to pop in some times...well he picked a hell of a time. At least we're not naked. At least we're not naked. At least we're not naked.

Cha-Cha sat down with her back against the door. It wasn't that she was trying to listen in or anything like that, it was just...yeah she was trying to listen in. Plus, she felt better blocking the door in some way. Then again, if Lennie took frequent visits to Ed's bedroom, there would be some serious problems.

Ed opened the door, glad he'd thrown on jeans earlier. He tried to look calm, relaxed, casual... "Hey Lennie," he began, grateful his voice was clear and not as shaky as he had been moments before. "What's up?"

"That's what I'd like to know," said Briscoe, walking past Ed, inviting himself in. At Ed's puzzled expression, he continued. "Something's up, Eddie, you might as well tell me now."

Okay, so Lennie knew. Cha-Cha swore under her breath, pressing her ear against the door a little more fully. Okay, maybe this wasn't about her. Not everything was about her (later on, Cha-Cha would wonder if those words had actually come out of her brain). Maybe...maybe Ed was...planning a surprise party? Big strong detectives didn't plan surprise parties, though, did they? She couldn't think of anything else it could be.

Ed chuckled lightly. He was surprisingly good at masking panic, if he did say so himself. "It's good to see you too." He closed the door, following his partner to his kitchen. "And what do you mean up?" He moved to the fridge again, asking "Wanna drink?"

As Lennie plopped down into a chair he shook his head. "I mean that you've been acting strange."

Cha-Cha was on her knees at this point, straining to hear through the wood. Acting strange. Well...he'd been taking time off. But he'd had to have done that before he met her, too. Nobody could work all the time. Cha-Cha never worked at all. She hoped to herself that this wouldn't be a long visit from Lennie. So much for their nice day.

"Is that a fact?" Ed sat at the table across from Lennie.

"You've been asking for all this time off-"

"_Asking for_, not getting." Now it was Ed's turn for a question or two. "By the way, do you know why Lieu's been giving me trouble with that?"  
Cha-Cha was listening intently. Neither of the men sounded very happy, and there was a pause after Ed's question. Honestly, she had no idea what the answer would be either. Unless Lieu actually didn't like Ed. But Ed had compared her to a mama bear, and they were always good to her cubs...

Cha-Cha's brain was stlill a little sleepy. Unless Lieu somehow knew about Cha-Cha which was why she wasn't giving up the time. Maybe she was homophobic. But didn't people with those sorts of jobs have to be relatively unbiased?  
"Because it's so unlike you, Ed. You used to show up early and stay late, now you're running out the second you can."

"Lennie, you know that's overstating it. I didn't do that everyday, only if we had a really rough-"

"Well you know what I mean," the old man said, cutting him off. So he exaggerated a bit. "All I'm saying is that you used to be there _practically_ 24/7, and now you want weekends off, you're taking sick and personal days like you've got the plague..."

Ed wished he hadn't said that. He might have forgotten to mention to Cha-Cha that some of his free days weren't exactly days he hadn't been scheduled. But it wasn't like he did it regularly...  
Sick and personal days? That, Cha-Cha didn't know about. It was a totally inappropriate time, her boyfriend was out there getting interrogated up and down, but she couldn't help a smile from appearing on her lips. Apparently she was addicting? She'd never had anybody call in sick for her before. It was ridiculously sweet. Sneaky and dishonest, but still...  
"Well if Lieu won't give me time off, that's what I've gotta do." And that was that.

"But...she just wants to know why. What are you doing all of a sudden?"

Ed rolled his eyes. "I told both of you I'm seeing someone. And I told Lieu that was why. I'm not the first of her detectives to date, am I?" No. He knew for a fact that blonde officer just got engaged.  
Cha-Cha finally let go of her breath, having not even realized she was holding it. Silently she was begging Lennie not to say who. Much as she wanted to be able to meet Lennie, to not worry about showing affection in public...Ed wouldn't be okay with that. And he was pretty much alone out there, what if something went wrong? What if Lennie didn't approve...

Cha-Cha swore under her breath as Lennie asked who he was seeing.

* * *

  
Ed kept his casual smile in place, though it did twitch once. "I told both of you I'd like to keep my private life private."

"And I told you we're partners, we're supposed to talk."

"We do!"

Lennie grumbled. "Come off it, Ed, all you've said to me about this mystery woman is that she's this tall-" he motioned without trying to be accurate at all "-Hispanic, a couple 'she's funny', 'she's gorgeous' and whatnot, and that her name is Cha-Cha. What's her last name? And...is that even a real first name?"  
Cha-Cha didn't blush easy, but she couldn't help herself. In her opinion, Lennie could just come on back anytime he wanted to. And if Ed was really saying things like that about her...she pressed her ear a bit harder to the door. She hadn't expected Ed to have given a name. Couldn't detectives track people down if they wanted to? Of course Cha-Cha wasn't her legal name or anything, but how many people in New York could call themselves that? (Hopefully no other drag queens, or there'd be hell to pay).  
Ed could only imagine the smirk growing on Cha-Cha's face. He knew she'd be listening. A smile was in his voice, and he didn't want to risk laughing, so he just looked at Lennie and tried to appear annoyed.

Lennie took that as a sign he'd finally gotten somewhere. "So that isn't her real name."

"Well..." Ed paused, his laughing eyes going dull. That probably wasn't her real name. He frowned. He didn't know her real name. What...how could he not know?

"Ed, to be blunt, Van Buren isn't so sure this woman exists."  
Cha-Cha frowned. She didn't exist? That was news to her. Part of her wanted to yell at him through the door, even though she knew she ought to stay quiet. If Van Buren thought there was no Cha-Cha...what did she think Ed was taking time off for? Chewing her lip, she tried to come up with the best possible scenario. Maybe...Lieu thought she was getting a surprise party?

What was with her mind that morning and surprise parties? Really!  
"What?!" Ed was insulted. Were they calling him a liar? What did they think he was doing? What was Cha-Cha's real name? That was still echoing.

"Hey, don't shoot the messenger. I just wanted to give you a heads up that she's getting suspicious. Although I haven't seen her either." At Lennie's words, Ed stood up angrily. He had nowhere to go, but he couldn't just sit still. "You know, I thought we were closer than this, Eddie."

"Lennie...it's complicated."

"How complicated?" came Lennie's voice. Cha-Cha closed her eyes. Part of her almost wanted Ed to say. Maybe then they could stop hiding. Then they could be out to someone, at least. And Lennie really did seem like her kind of guy; she had a thing for older guys. But...if he didn't like what he heard...imagine he got violent or something...

"...I want you to meet her, but..." Ed wasn't sure yet. He had never introduced Lennie to anyone. Never considered it, even. When it was a man he was worried. Now a drag queen? He just wasn't certain of his partners reaction.

"But?" This would probably be entertaining if Cha-Cha weren't smack dab in the middle of it. Sort of like a movie. She was even imagining that Lennie looked like Daniel Day-Lewis (if that were the case, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing if they were together...no, Cha-Cha. Bad). But the fact was, this was real life, and her palms were sweating.

Ed didn't have an answer.

Lennie was beginning to doubt Cha-Cha's existence too. "Ed, you can tell me what's going on. Seriously. Are you gambling again? Look, if you're ditching work again for that just tell me, I'll understand. I was in AA, remember? I know where you're coming from."

Ed's eyes darted toward his bedroom door. He turned for his glass, hoping his partner had missed it. It appeared he had, thank goodness. "Lennie, please, that was years ago."

Gambling? Cha-Cha's eyes narrowed. Since when did Ed gamble? Obviously, it was one of the things he hadn't told her. So what else was he hiding? As soon as she could get out, she'd be asking him about it. As soon as he felt like answering.

"Old habits die hard, Ed. We both know that," the older man replied.

"Yeah, well, I'm fine."

"That's convincing," Lennie said sarcastically.

Ed needed Briscoe out of here. Now. "Either you believe me or you don't, Lennie. I'm not in trouble of any kind, I'm dating a woman named named Cha-Cha, and as a matter of fact I was heading over there just before you got here, so..."

_Yes, Lennie, get out of here_, Cha-Cha silently goaded. There were alot of things to talk about now that wouldn't get resloved with Cha-Cha behind the bedroom door. What were they going to do now? How could Ed face suspicions like that? And since when was he a gambler? The faster Lennie got pushed out the door, the better.

"You haven't even got a picture of her?" Lennie looked at him suspiciously as he stood to go. Why was he getting thrown out? Right, he did come in here throwing accusations around, but... "This isn't a repeat of when you were messing around with that one mar-"

"No! Drop it. Lennie, I have to go." Was Lennie going to bring up every mistake he'd ever made?

When Ed was messing around with Mary?! But...he was...Mary was a girl's name, and Ed said he was...

Apparently Lennie knew alot more about Ed than she did. That put her off. How many things was Ed keeping hidden from her? How much could she trust him? She bit the inside of her lip harder, willing Lennie to just leave already.

Ed was already holding the door open for Lennie. "This isn't really helping to put my mind at ease, Eddie."

The young detective sighed anxiously. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?" Without his girl hiding in the room overhearing the conversation.

"Lieu is still gonna be wondering what you're doing, Ed, if you don't give her a reason to believe you."

"Tomorrow, okay?" He closed the door.

Cha-Cha thought she heard the door closing, but wasn't sure. Hopefully, though, because they had alot to talk about. Wrinkling her forehead, she waited an impatient moment after the door closed. Silence. "Is it safe?" her muffled voice came from the bedroom. It hadn't occured to her that if it wasn't safe, she'd just blown her cover.

Ed slumped against the door, head in hands, fingers digging in. He was in trouble. "Yes," he called to her. What would they have done if it wasn't? Oh well, at that point it would have been almost acceptable for Lennie to find her.

The door opened slowly and Cha-Cha came out from it. She didn't ask him about those things yet. He'd just been interrogated by someone who was probably his best friend. His best friend who didn't trust him, apparently. Now wasn't the time. Intead she crossed the room slowly to face him, biting her lip. "Hey, baby."

He looked up quickly. "What's your name?" he asked. That question hadn't left him alone the entire time Lennie was there. He asked her to live with him, and he didn't even know her name? True, he wasn't exactly thinking clearly at the moment. If it had occured to him any other day, he probably would have just laughed and agreed that she was simply Cha-Cha to him. "And I don't mean Cha-Cha de los...whatever." He'd regret this conversation later, he knew it, but he was too worried and angry and actually scared to care.

Cha-Cha blinked, her forehead creasing. After a second she caught on, though she was still a little put off. He knew her name. The one that mattered, anyway. What did the other one count for anything?

"Alejandro," she replied quietly. But she was the furthest thing from an Alejandro. Even Ally, her old name, even that was far from who she'd turned out to be. "Cueva."

Ed grabbed her to him, kissing her desperately. He'd expected her to yell or something. Get offended and angry that'd he'd ask that. And for a moment he had wanted her to, because he was looking for a fight and wasn't brave enough to take it up with Lennie. But the look in her eyes had killed that desire fast, leaving him feeling guilty. But he really had wanted to know. "Cha-Cha suits you better."

The kiss surprised Cha-Cha to say the least, but she returned it with the same passion he did. He wasn't angry with her like she'd thought and even though she had some...uncertainties, she put them away for the moment. "I think so," she replied softly, wrapping her arms around his waist. After a moment she began leading him to the couch so they could sit together, and work some things out.

Ed saw where they were heading, and for the first time in his life, the couch seemed like the worst place to be. He slowed his pace. Definitely not excited to be explaining any of this. "I um...uh..." He couldn't come up with anything to get him out of this.

"What?" Cha-Cha asked, keeping her voice light. No sudden movements, no loud noises. She wasn't sure what she'd done this time to upset him, and she swallowed any protests she might have had. "Baby, what's going on?"

"I just really..." Was it hot in here? "...don't want to talk about...anything...you might have overheard." No, that wasn't suspicious. No little red flags going up at all.

Cha-Cha's mouth closed, and she became unsure of what to say. There was a first for everything. The conflict between them was making her heart pound, despite any attempt she made to calm down. "So I don't get to know anything?" she finally got out, her voice quivering slightly. Her brows knit in confusion, in frustration...she didn't even know anymore. Dropping his hand, she stood awkwardly, waiting for some sort of answer from him. She felt like she didn't know a thing about him, and what was worse, he knew pratically everything there was to know about her. All but a name, and she'd surrendered that all too easily. "After all that, there are a million and one things I don't know about you, and you're trusting me with nothing?"

Cha-Cha's voice rose a bit higher in pitch with each word, to match her growing anger. Of course it wasn't a good time. Of course, he had just gone through too much, he felt too rotten for her to yell at him. But...she really thought they'd be able to talk about this...they'd figure out together what to do. He'd clear things up for her. After everything she'd heard, he was going to leave her in the dark and expect her to understand?

"What do you mean nothing? You've known me for months. If Lennie hadn't brought any of this up you probably would have been fine where we're at." But that wasn't the case now, was it? She knew everything she needed to know, in his opinion. Everything worth knowing. The rest was just stuff that you wouldn't brag about.

"I think an addiction is something," Cha-Cha countered, her jaw becoming tense. This was getting risky and she was getting mean, but he should have told her. Her heart was still beating like crazy and she was losing any good sense she had. "And...I mean, I still don't know what's going on, I mean, are you in trouble? This isn't stuff you can just...not tell me!" Cha-Cha did realize how convoluted that sentence was, but she was too upset to care. Since when did they start keeping secrets? They'd known each other for months, but that didn't mean too much when so much was rising to the surface.

"All that, plus Mary, all that and you ask me for my name? Are you for real?" she shook her head, in complete disbelief. So much he hadn't told her, and he was still prying for information. He must've known that any male name she had, she wasn't too proud of it. Obviously, or she wouldn't have started going by Cha-Cha. So despite her so freely giving that up, not to mention some other things she wasn't proud of, he still was going to keep his demons from her?

"The gambling was years ago, Cha-Cha, I didn't want you to worry about it. I've got that under control. Just because Lennie can't stay out a bottle he thinks the same goes for everyone. And...Mary?" That probably wasn't the biggest issue to tackle, but he'd start small. "What Mary? That didn't come up. I mean it wouldn't, there is no Mary, but ... what?" He was confused. Maybe they should sit down after all.

"Lennie said! When you were messing around with her--I don't get it Ed. Are you straight? Bi? Gay and desperate?" Whether he liked it or not, Cha-Cha sat down on his couch, sighing unhappily. Things were getting very complicated, way more confusing than anybody she'd ever been with before. If it were anyone else, she'd have been long gone. So why did the thought of being away from him absolutely kill her?

"I'm gay, Cha-Cha, you ought to know that by now. Why do you think they're so skeptical that I'm seeing someone? I haven't had a girlfriend since I joined the precinct." If he was bi he would have at least had one girlfriend to show off in front of them. "And Lennie didn't say Mary, he said married!" Oh...shit. Ed fell into a sofa chair, cautious about joining her on the couch.

A pause. "So you're married?" she asked quietly. That couldn't be right. She knew that couldn't be right, and she wasn't going to stop pressing until she got the truth. "Why would Lennie say 'married'?"

Ed rested his chin in his hand as he looked at her, fingers tapping against the side of his face absently. A sigh. "No, I wasn't married, he was. But I didn't know at first, well, I mean I suspected something, but...even when I found out, I couldn't bring myself to stop." Did she really want to know? "Obviously eventually it didn't work out. I told Lennie it was a woman." Ed told Lennie everything, which is why he knew that this secret about Cha-Cha was really hurting him.

Instantly Cha-Cha understood. She herself wasn't a stranger to that scene, whether with one night stands or actual...things. Sometimes when she was attatched herself, she still couldn't fight off temptation. Temptation that she hadn't felt yet for anyone, now that she was with Ed. "Okay, so you've been a dick in the past, but...why can't you just tell me? I mean, unless you're cheating on someone with me..."

"Of course not, that'd be ridiculous." He was perfectly happy with having her and only her. Plus, when would he have the time? "I just...I dunno, it's just not something I felt like bragging about." But if she had to know everything, fine. He wouldn't be happy about it though. "Neither is...what was the other thing?" Had he covered gambling enough? He got the gay and Mary thing...

"Gambling," Cha-Cha reminded him. Her anger was cooling down a bit, and she was feeling lonely on the couch. Without asking any permission, she got up and seated herself in his lap. Now that they were getting things out of the way, she felt more comfortable getting closer. "Were you really addicted? Like...Gamblers Anonymous, the whole shebang?"

"Yeah, I was in GA. Didn't we do this one already?" The moment she sat down Ed completely switched gears. Her body language clearly told him he was not going anywhere anytime soon without surrendering details. However, her body was now within reach, and that changed his mind about sharing again. "Can't we talk about this tomorrow?" asked Ed, kissing her shoulder, neck, chin. Maybe she'd forget he worked tomorrow. Maybe knowing that he didn't gamble anymore- well, not that often anymore, but she hadn't asked that specifically- would be enough. His knowledge of her was put to good use as his hands moved to and pressed and rubbed all the right places. Ed was upset, annoyed, and not in the mood at all, but he could fake it if that would get him out of talking.

Cha-Cha frowned and shifted in his lap, trying to escape his hands. How was he in the mood again? After all that? She'd listened through a door and even she couldn't comrehend sex right at the moment. "You never told me that," she told him, taking one of his hands off her leg. She kissed the top of it and held it firmly. "How long ago was this?" To be honest though, now that she knew it was a past addiction, she was moving on in her head to the next topic. The past wasn't half as important as the current danger.

"Three or four years ago. I don't know, I don't like to think about it." Ed didn't quit, counting on her giving in to him soon. His other hand picked up where the stopped one had left off, and lips returned to her neck. "An urge or two might come over me occasionally if I'm stressed, but I don't act on it." There, she didn't have to dig for that little bit.

"Ed, please don't," Cha-Cha mumbled, trying to catch his other hand. She really didn't want to, and he couldn't lie to her and say he was, either. This wasn't how it usually went. It would be better when they were both a little more enthusiastic. "If you stop, I won't ask you anymore about gambling," she bargained hopefully.

Ed almost bit her in frustration. That wasn't a promise that she wouldn't ask about something else. He wasn't feeling like himself and he knew it was showing. He could only see Lennie's angry and hurt eyes, imagine Lieu ranting about him at the precinct, and Cha-Cha drilling him about every mistake his partner had to bring up. He was uncharacteristically pissed off, but even that wasn't right exactly. It was just that everything had hit him so fast, he wanted someone else to be angry too.

He let go of her, and was tempted to even stand up. Ed leaned against the back of the sofa chair, sighing angrily even though she was right, he hadn't wanted anything at the moment either.

Cha-Cha watched him, clearly unsure of what to do. All she wanted to do was to be close to him, but there was a huge elephant in the room. Not to mention, she wasn't sure how close she could get right now.

"Thank you," she said quietly, adjusting herself in his lap. She'd planned on asking him about the future. See if there was anything she could do to make life easier...and figure out what he had to do to prove she was real. But...maybe they'd done enough for the moment. Cha-Cha believed she had a right to know, but he'd tell her eventually...right?

It took her a minute to speak, mostly because she was at a loss of what to say. "Do you want me to leave?" she mumbled finally. She knew how hurt she sounded at the moment, but she didn't want to make it too obvious. There were enough problems at the moment. The last thing she wanted was to anger him further, and it wasn't hard to see that that was exactly what she was doing.

Did he want her to leave? Yes. Yes he did. And...no, not really. "No. But, could you get up?" Damn...what he wouldn't give to be in a casino right now. He went on to explain with, "I think I need a shower." Ed wanted to be alone without kicking her out.

The door opened without a warning. Ed's head spun for a second time. He didn't believe it. Mouth dry, he said, "Lennie, I thought you left."

"I thought you were leaving."

Cha-Cha jumped again, her heart nearly beating out of her chest. She had no time to be depressed by his annoyance with her. While she had always wanted to meet Ed's partner...this wasn't how. Not when they were still trying to be very secret. Not when she was perched in his lap, one of his hands resting high on her leg.

Freezing up, she met Ed's eyes for a moment, completely and totally at a loss of what to do, what to say, hell she could barely breath. The older man had taken notice of her and how close she and Ed were to each other. It didn't take a genious to put a few puzzle pieces together.

Ed removed his hand, cursing himself for having ever started that. And also thankful Cha-Cha hadn't given in. "Get up, Cha-Cha," he whispered, no trace of anger in his voice now. Just fear.

It still wasn't making sense. After all those weeks, months of being careful outside... Lennie just waltzes into his apartment and finds them? That wasn't fair. He'd been worried about walking beside a drag queen. Talking to her. And maybe she could have pulled off a woman if Lennie was just passing by... But Lennie was never supposed to just come in and see her only in pajama bottoms. She had no wig, no makeup, no skirt... Lennie couldn't see her, he could only see a man on his partners lap.

Cha-Cha didn't need to be told twice. She stumbled off his lap, crossing her arms across her chest self conciously (again, a first time for everything). Her eyes were wide, and she couldn't help but think about how much she needed makeup. It was beyond trivial, considering, but she just couldn't help it. Maybe she felt exposed without it. Maybe she was just clinging to something unimportant, so she wouldn't have to deal with real life just yet. Probably a mix of the two. She at least needed a shirt.

"Cha-Cha?" Lennie repeated, his eyes darting between Ed...and the man with him.

"I told you it was complicated." Ed stared at Lennie. Lennie stared back. The younger one broke eye contact first, turning to his lover to mumble "Go get dressed." He assumed she was feeling awkward clothed how she was, and wanted to give her an excuse to leave if she wanted to. If she stayed put that was up to her. "Lennie...what...the hell are you doing here?"

"You said you were on your way out, but you never left."

"What were you gonna do, follow me?" Ed asked in disbelief.

It occured to Cha-Cha that it would probably be best to head downstairs. But at the same time, she didn't want to leave Ed alone. She wasn't even sure she could get past Lennie, still standing by the door and eyeing them suspiciously. Nodding slowly, she headed towards his bedroom quickly. This time, she wasn't trying too awfully hard to listen in. She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Lennie ignored Ed's question. "That's Cha-Cha?"

"Yes," he answered, an unsaid 'Gotta problem with that?' in his tone. Ed repeated his question. "Were you going to follow me to her, Lennie? Seriously?" What about respecting each other? Knowing boundaries? Privacy? "Did Van Buren put you up to that?" He couldn't believe his partner would do that otherwise.

Cha-Cha had her shirt back on, not quite ready to get out of her pajamas yet. Taking her former spot by the door, she closed her eyes. This was the worst possible way for anyone to find out. Why couldn't they have been fully clothed? Why did he have to have a hand on her thigh? Why couldn't they have decided when to tell?

"You know I didn't buy that, Ed," Lennie tried to justify his behaviour.

"It was obviously a dismissal." Even if he'd known Ed was lying, couldn't he have been able to see he wasn't welcome? "And damn it, Lennie, you can't even knock?" Ed was trying to make this all about Lennie instead of all about him. He vaguely wondered if Cha-Cha was listening. It didn't really matter, did it?

"I knew you'd be here," Lennie countered. Cha-Cha was curled up against the door, her fingers running along her pajama bottoms. Honestly, she hated this. Even if Lennie had problems, she didn't want to be hiding away. He knew, what was the point? She still wasn't sure she ought to, though.

"Oh you knew I'd be here, well, that makes it okay then." Ed smiled sourly. "Thanks for not giving me a heads up you were coming earlier either. She heard everything you said, Lennie. I hadn't told her yet." Yet. As if he'd actually planned to.

"Will you stop saying 'her'?" Lennie grumbled. "I haven't gone blind, Ed, but if you keep throwing 'her' around I might start thinking you have. Stop acting like you didn't just have your..." He trailed off.

Ed's eyes flared. He'd never wanted to punch Lennie, but there was a first time for everything, right? No, that wouldn't be fair. It was obviously a shock to his system. Instead Ed spat out an 'Excuse me' and made for the bedroom door. He opened it slightly, not surprised to find her beside it. After inching his way in, he kneeled beside her, his mask of anger disappeared into worry. "Cha-Cha...I don't know what to do..."

Cha-Cha could hear footsteps getting closer to the bedroom, and she quickly scampered away from the door. Her eyes softened as Ed appeared, and she shifted to sit on the floor. Any annoyance, even any anger she may have felt for Ed before, that was all gone now.

While she didn't understand everything the two of them were talking about, it wasn't hard to piece a few things together. "Ed, what can I do? I..." she trailed off, trying to think. Somehow she didn't think Lennie's pronoun choice was the biggest issue here.

No, it wasn't the biggest issue. It was rather small compared to what this whole meeting could do. "I don't know. What can either of us do? We didn't plan for this." It was supposed to happen anywhere but here. "I think he's just shocked." Ed would like to believe that once Lennie actually met Cha-Cha they'd get along. "I don't know if it'd be better if you stayed in here or came back out with me. And like this, or...drag... I don't know." Ed realized he still hadn't put on a shirt that morning. He stood and grabbed one from a nearby drawer.

"I don't have anything up here...he can't really get an impression of me from this, baby," Cha-Cha pointed out, gesturing to herself. Finally a bit of her normal self was shining through. Meet someone new wearing pajama bottoms and a clean face? Ridiculous. She sat up, finding her discareded skirt and starting to change. "I mean...what's he like? Is he really conservative, cause...then it might not just be shock," Cha-Cha swallowed. Older guys sometimes had more prejudice than younger ones, she'd found. It was the generation.

"Lennie's great, he's..." Ed had always refused to believe the worst. "He'll understand," he said, trying to assure her and himself at the same time. "Just give him a...day or two." Or week. Month. No hurry? It was Lennie, his partner, his friend. It'd be fine.

Ed walked across the room to Cha-Cha and cupped her face in his hands. "We'll be okay." He'd intended to say 'he'll be okay'. Didn't see a need to correct himself though. He gave her a brief kiss. "Come out when you're ready. If you want to stay here, though, that's fine too." And he went back to Lennie.

Cha-Cha watched Ed leave, blinking a few times. Ed seemed sure of himself, but she was sure of herself too when she didn't want to believe the worst.

Checking her face quickly in the mirror, she conluded that it wasn't as bad as it could have been. It still made her uncomfortable to go out bare, but at least she had her clothes. Pajamas, and she'd never work up the nerve.

Lennie had seated himself at the table when Cha-Cha slowly made her way from the bedroom, quickly making her way to Ed. She at least felt better with him near her.

Ed put on a good show. On the inside he was panicking and tripping over every other word. However, when he spoke those words they came out flawlessly. He'd sat Lennie down at the kitchen table, and once they both got their sarcastic comments out of their systems, they eyed each other warily.

"You're the last one I expected this from, Ed." Lennie actually didn't expect it from anyone at the precinct, but it was the only thing he could think to say. "I don't get it. Sometimes you can really get going with some of the women we talk to on the job. You tellin' me that's all been some song and dance routine?"

"I play the game, Lennie." Ed's demeanor lightened a bit when Cha-Cha approached, and he was certain his partner had seen it.

Cha-Cha pulled out the chair nearest to Ed's, slowly lowering herself into it. Now that Lennie knew, she figured it wasn't too important to hide away anymore. The last thing she wanted to do was seem like she was ashamed of herself, or sorry for the way she felt for Ed. She wasn't. But at the same time, she'd really sort of like it if Lennie liked her, and approved of them being together.

The awkwardness Cha-Cha was feeling was overwhelming. It took her a minute to get brave. "Well, um...I'm Cha-Cha. The 'this tall' hispanic one," she laughed a little too loud, mentally kicking herself.

Ed was imensely impressed with his girl choosing to come out. He only wished Lennie had started out on the right foot with her. His partner was eying her skirt skeptically and Ed could tell 'drag queen' wasn't clicking. The doubting look he had made it apparent that he thought Ed and Cha-Cha were still attempting to pull off their scam. Ed only hoped he would tread catiously.

"Of all the names," Lennie began, making Ed internally wince at what was to come, "you guys couldn't come up with a more convincing one than 'Cha-Cha'? That was the first red flag Eddie." He didn't direct his speech toward her at all.

"Lennie that is actu-"

Cha-Cha didn't quite get the fascination with her name. She felt like Rumpelstiltskin. She'd been going by 'Cha-Cha' for years, and noody had ever had any problems. Then again, she mostly only spent time with other girls like her. Not old detectives. Still, though, not even Walt had pressed for a real name (not that Walt had cared that much, anyway).

"Fine, it's Alejandro Cueva," Cha-Cha interrupted Ed, squeezing his knee under the table where Lennie couldn't see. "But I haven't gone by that for years. If you think Cha-Cha's crazy, you should meet my friend Ivana," she laughed nervously again at Lennie's confused face. It took a moment, but realization seemed to be dawning on him.

"This isn't exactly how I hoped you'd meet her, Lennie," Ed admitted.

"This isn't exactly who I hoped to meet," mumbled Lennie. His partner...with a drag queen? Ed? Ed Green? He had women falling for him left and right and he chooses a man?

Ed frowned, placing a hand on the hand Cha-Cha had rested on his knee. "Lennie, she was looking forward to meeting you. You're acting like the complete opposite of everything I told her."

Cha-Cha's mouth twitched at Lennie's comment, and her heart dropped a bit. It was nice of him to say that when she was right there in the room. His concern for her feelings was heart-warming. With Ed's hand on hers she felt a bit better, but that had still stung.

She wasn't sure what to say back, so she kept quiet. Lennie sighed. This wasn't what he'd expected at all...though Ed did seem happy.

"Alright, I'm sorry Ed, I shouldn't have said it that way." Lennie scratched at his head awkwardly. "But do you expect me to take this in all at once? I mean, I'm still trying to get over the fact you're gay. Ed Green...my Ed, ya know?"

"This isn't some tragedy," he said, feeling offended.

"I know, I know. Just a big surprise. This and seeing your uh, girlfriend on the same day? It's a little overwhelming."

"Don't act like she isn't here," Ed warned. The previous apology should have been hers.

Cha-Cha turned the hand on his knee so it was gripping his hand instead. It seemed like a better idea to scoot downstairs, but she was already sitting at the table. There was virturally no way she could leave. It was fairly clear that Ed and Lennie were civil at least. That was fine, but now she was feeling like the Invisible Ma...like a ghost. If Cha-Cha hated anything, it was being ignored.

"I don't think I caught your name," Cha-Cha mumbled, referring to the introduction that Lennie had left hanging.

Ed could tell Lennie silently 'harumphed', knowing his name had been said numerous times. Still, he was a surprisingly good sport and shot an old hand out. "Detective Briscoe." That was how he introduced himself professionally. Well, alright, couldn't expect them to be best friends right off the bat, right? Ed hoped Cha-Cha knew to take what she could get gracefully.

Finally, some civility directed towards her. Briscoe wasn't being awfully nice, but there were alot of worse ways he could have reacted. Cha-Cha took his hand gladly, shaking it. "Nice to meet you, Lennie," she replied, skipping over any barrier Lennie had tried to set up. All she knew was that Lennie hadn't expected it; it was hard to tell whether he was annoyed or amused. Probably a little of both.

Ed could see a flicker of a smirk for a moment. He knew his partner would appreciate her spunk. "That's my girl," he whispered, only loud enough for her.

"Yeah, you too."

Well, it was a start. Thinking it best to leave on a good note, the younger man's tone became one that was obviously used at the end of a conversation. "I assume this will stay between the three of us for now, Lennie?"

Cha-Cha beamed at Lennie, obviously feeling better about the situation. Lennie was cool, Ed was feeling better, which was pretty much all they could ask for. Things were still far from perfect, but they were lucky that Ed had an understanding partner. Well, mostly understanding.

Lennie hesitated, before nodding his head. "I won't say anything. But you know Lieu's got her suspicions up...so if I were you, I would."

Ed stood, hand holding Cha-Cha's now in plain view. "I know, we will eventually." 'We will.' 'The three of us.' Hopefully his partner would acknowledge Cha-Cha was part of this too. Maybe not today, but... he anticipated the day when Lennie did something as simple as ask how she's doing.

Lennie stood as well, making his way towards the door. His attention was momentarily caught by Ed's hand, but he shook it off quickly.

"It really was nice to meet you, Lennie," Cha-Cha assured him with only a touch of fakeness. It hadn't exactly been, but like Ed she was going to chalk it up to shock. Lennie had gotten better as time went on, anyway.

Ed released her hand to follow. As his partner opened the door he said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Lennie. And I mean it this time," he continued, feeling brave enough to attempt a joke. "If you come back a third time..."

"Okay, okay, I get it," Lennie said, slightly chuckling. Ed smiled. He hadn't lost his partner. Just...confused him a little. Sobering, Lennie said the following for their ears only. "You serious about this kid, Eddie?" The age difference hadn't gone unnoticed.

"I love her more each day," he answered honestly. "But I haven't told her that either, so stop giving away all my secrets, huh?"

Cha-Cha waved to Lennie quickly before letting the men talk. They needed a little civil privacy, and she needed to get away for a moment. Wandering into the kitchen, she looked around for some coffee to boil.

That hadn't gona as badly as it could have. Not spectacular, but the end definitely proved the beginning wrong. Lennie wasn't a bad guy. Otherwise Ed wouldn't have so much faith in him. She got that it took time, and she was willing to wait. Hey, if she could get Walter Koontz to tolerate her, she could be friends with Lennie Briscoe.

Lennie rolled his eyes and left, unaware of the tension that had followed his previous visit.

Entering the kitchen, Ed opened his arms. "Can I have a hug?" The coffee he'd attempted to make earlier was probably a disaster, and he was glad she'd already started some more. It was only a quarter to one, but he considered the day over and done. Coffee would hopefully revive him.

Ed was a mind reader. "Don't even have to ask," Cha-Cha replied softly, gladly moving into him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing deeply. What a day. From her position she was facing the door, and she couldn't help but imagine some other important person bursting in. It wasn't that unimaginable. "Are you okay?"

Ed's sigh had a hint of a laugh. He laughed, because he would probably cry if he didn't, and that was not acceptable. "I'll be fine. But from now on, please remind me to lock the door." He couldn't see Lieu ever having a need to drop by, or anyone else, but apparently this goes to show you never know.

Cha-Cha nodded her head, kissing his jaw softly. It seemed strange that a detectve wouldn't lock it regularily, but she didn't comment. They'd been preoccupied the night before; mistakes happened. "Do you feel better?" she tried again. "I mean...we did tell someone. That's something," she pointed out with a smile.

"I would have preferred if it was us intentionally telling him, but...I hated lying to him. Not just about you," he explained, "but the past nine years I've been telling him I'm single and not interested." Cha-Cha was the first he ever mentioned, because he didn't consider it lying when he said his girlfriend was waiting. For the other men he just kept it on the down low.

Ed hadn't kissed her back yet. Now that they were alone again, the conversation before Lennie had arrived surfaced in his mind. "Sorry to bring this up again, but, about earlier..." He didn't want her walking away from today thinking that would happen again. "I'm sorry. That wasn't me." That was the reason he asked before touching her again.

"So I'm the one he got to meet?" Cha-Cha asked, unable to hide a small grin, with just a touch of smugness about it. She knew it was neither of their decisions for Lennie to find out about her, but...still. She wasn't sure why, but it filled her with a weird sense of pride that she was deeper in Ed's life than any of his past boyfriends. Probably because Ed was the same way with her. "Didn't they notice before when you took time off to see your boyfriends?" she added.

Cha-Cha nodded, bringing her arms down a bit to rub his back. Earlier hadn't been fun...but she could sort of understand. He was hurt, and she'd basically pounced on him, giving him no air. Neither of them were really in the right. Shaking her head, she leaned up to kiss him slowly. "Don't even think about it, baby."

Ed would be kicking himself about that for a few days, but he wouldn't mention it again. She hadn't given him time to answer her question. When he broke away from her lips, he smiled almost shyly before admitting that he hadn't taken off time for them. She had a big enough ego without knowing she was the only one he would call in sick for. The casino had made it though. He only left for things he felt he couldn't live without, he thought to himself.

At Ed's confession, the smile on Cha-Cha's face only deepened. While she had always known she was important to him, it hadn't struck her before how important that really was. To be honest, it cemented a little more the idea she had in her mind. Not completely; she wasn't going to say anything to him until she was completely sure. No sense hurting him; she'd done that way too many times before with other people she 'loved'.

As much as she wanted to say it and feel it, she still wasn;t sure it was right yet. Weren't you supposed to know somebody for years before you fell in love with them? Really fell in love with them; she definitely liked Ed alot. She loved being with him. But despite that, if she did anything to mess this up, she wouldn't be able to live it down. 'I love you' had messed up so many relationships before. She always said it too fast, before she really felt it, which only hurt the person she was with when they found out. Ed wasn't worth that. And he thought he was trigger happy...

It was an effort to prevent the words from slipping out, though. They were just so nice to say and to hear, and she defnitely felt strongly. Instead she tightened her arms around him, leaning in to rest her head on his shoulder.

Ed held her silently for a few minutes, enjoying the fact she no longer wanted to shove him off of her. "Coffee?" he finally suggested. They had the rest of the afternoon to do whatever, and he hoped it went smoother than their morning.

"Mm," Cha-Cha nodded her head, kissing his cheek before pulling away. She'd forgotten all about it. Ed had that effect on her. "And you call me distracting!" she added with a laugh, going to put some coffe in the pot.

"Well we've messed it up twice this morning. I'm dying without it." Hmm. He checked his watch. "This afternoon..." Whatever. Ed followed her into the kitchen, content with just watching her work.

"Well, if someone had actually slept last night," Cha-Cha mumbled with a smirk. Okay, it hadn't just been him. That didn't mean she wouldn't blame him completely. Coffee, she had decided, took entirely too long to make. Leaning over the counter, she watched the drops fall into the pot, filling it way too slowly for the impatient drag queen.

"Two can play at that game, my dear. If someone hadn't kept me up..." Though he'd been more than glad to stay up with her. He too stared at the coffee, tempted to start tapping his foot. Just to be annoying. He had a feeling that would annoy him too, though.

"You made me!" Cha-Cha protested. Well...that was sort of true. If he hadn't been there she would've gotten alot more sleep. Yes, he was to blame. That was her story and she was sticking to it. Watching the coffee boredly, she finally pushed off the counter to find some mugs.

"Oh really? Fine, tonight I'll put a pillow between us. You don't touch me, I don't touch you, maybe we'll be bored enough to go to sleep at a decent hour." Yes, that was an invitation to stay over again. There was work tomorrow but...suddenly he was feeling a little iffy about showing up.

"Fine then. If you find me that unappealing," Cha-Cha pretended to sniff, fighting a grin. She had to get on her toes to reach the mugs, but she got them down safely. Now she was just twisting his words, and they both knew it. "I'll just have to go downstairs and shower myself, then," she added with a barely concealed laugh.

"If you're still using that fruity shampoo, you can just go right ahead." Ha. Countered again. Ed stepped closer to her, a playful grin growing. "But if you're going to do that, you might as well get dirty first."

"Baby, you are clearly dirty enough for the both of us," Cha-Cha teased, running her hands up his chest gently. Okay, maybe not quite. But what was the point if she couldn't tease him a little?

"Maybe I can rub off on you." He looped his arms around her waist. Yeah right, like she was the picture of innocence or something. He figured when it came to this type of thing they were pretty evenly matched.

"Stranger things have happened," Cha-Cha grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck. This was better. No more angst, no more secrets, no more fighting. This was the type of thing she'd been looking forward to, and she leaned up to kiss him softly. Maybe now she could forget any troubles they had. One could hope.

Ed let her have all the lead. For one thing, she'd enjoy being in control. Another, although she told him to forget earlier, he couldn't entirely get that out of his mind. This new considering to keep hands off wouldn't last forever, but for now he'd be careful.

Cha-Cha deepend the kiss, barely noticing as the coffee pot started making loud grinding noises. It wasn't hard for Ed to take all her attention for himself, without even trying. How he did it, she'd never know. "I think it's done..." she commented after pulling away, clearly ready to kick the machine out the nearest window. How dare it interrupt like that.

"We should get it before it ends up like the last two." Ed moved to sit down, hoping to not be a distraction long enough to save it. It seemed to work. He pulled a chair far out from the table and sat down. If his lap happened to be wide open, so be it.

"I guess," Cha-Cha nodded, turning her back to pour the mugs. Turning around, she couldn't help but smirk. Well if that wasn't an invitation, she didn't know what was.

Would she take it though? Of course not. That would be playing right into his hands. As much as she wanted to be sitting in his lap, she passed him his coffee and moved around the table to sit opposite him. "Assuming makes an ass out of you and me, Eddie," she added innocently, sipping her coffee with wide eyes. He was assuming she wanted to sit in his lap, wasn't he? Even though she wanted to herself, that would just be too easy.

"Don't make me come over there." Not much of a threat when one is smiling. He drummed his fingers on the table lightly, other hand sipping his drink. Did she have to try to win at everything? Of course. Would he let her? Probably.

"Ooh, big bad detectve," Cha-Cha teased, trying not to laugh while she was sipping. Part of her wanted to go to him, the other part wanted to tease him a bit more. See what happened. "Is that a threat?"

"Yes. Yes it is." He had no idea what he would do. Not a clue. But he looked convincing. And as long as she didn't know he didn't have a plan, yet anyway, why not continue?

Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow. Well, far be it for her to back down from a threat. "So what if I jusy stay right here? I didn't realize there was some unwritten rule. I have to sit in your lap. That's what chairs are for, you know," she added, trying to remain totally serious.

Note to self, create a set of rules and destroy all but one chair. That would solve this problem. "If you're not over here in ten seconds..." He narrowed his eyes, hoping to hide the sparkle that killed the serious look.

"What?" Cha-Cha teased. This was too much fun, especially when she was winning. He could easily overpower her physically (not violently at all--more like he knew her body ten times better than she knew his). But the mind games were all hers. She just had alot of intellect up there.

That or she was sneaky and liked being a pain in the neck.

Ed would agree with that last thought of hers. She was a little sneak, and liked to provoke him like no other. And he too was well aware that when it came to physical strength and knowledge, she didn't stand a chance. Casually leaning back in his chair, he said in a light tone, "Put your coffee down."

"...Why?" Cha-Cha rose her eyebrows, bringing the mug up to her lips again. Alright, he was acting just a little too casual. Something was up. What made him think she'd put her coffee down just because he asked, though? Instead she kept it firmly between her two hands, determined to win whatever game they were playing.

Ed smirked when he saw she was confused. He shook his head slightly when she didn't do what he asked. "I'm just saying, if I were you, I'd put my coffee down." He picked a piece of fuzz of his shirt. Flicked it away.

He'd caught her off guard, and she was silent for a few seconds. "I don't want to," she replied finally, watching Ed carefully. Cha-Cha wasn't sure how to react; part of her was scared, another close to laughing, another turned on. Ed could be very confusing sometimes, but she kept the coffee in her firm grip.

Ed was still holding his too, and he took a sip. It was still pretty warm, but not very hot, he noted. Faking a sudden disinterest in it, he set the mug down. "Why not?" he asked, looking at her curiously. It wasn't that hard a task.

Because he'd told her to, of course. "Well, why should I then? I asked first," she added, her eyes wide Part of her wanted to put the cup down just so she'd see what he'd do. But the other part of her, the proud part, refused to obey him. She was in too deep now to suddenly bend to his wishes.

Ed laughed. "It's amazing how stubborn you can be. I'm just asking you to put a mug down." She got suspicious fast, didn't she? He swallowed the laughter but couldn't quite get the smile down.

"Ah, but you didn't answer the question!" Cha-Cha was quick to point out. Oh, he was definitely up to something. The (albeit small) sensible part of her brain couldn't believe they'd gone on this long about a mug. But her competitive side won out. "I will put this mug down when I am good and ready." Cha-Cha didn't mention that the cup was empty.

Ed reached for his own, feeling the outside. Hardly warm. He leaned back, studying her. "Put it down, or come over here." Would she do either? Who knew. He waited.

Cha-Cha froze. Now that...that was not fair. What was she supposed to do?? It was his lap that she was originally trying to get away from. Besides, if he got that close to him, who knew what he could do. She gripped the mug tightly. "Why don't you come over here," she challenged, mentally commending herself.

Ed laughed again. "Because I already sat down, that's why." And he took too many orders from her as it was. He planted his feet firmly on the ground. "Why do you think I'm going to listen to you after you've sat there thinking I was planning some-" Ed jumped out of his chair mid sentence and was around the table in less than a second. It could be considered a pounce, but not his normal type. He'd accidentally discovered a ticklish spot on her last week, and had been waiting for an opportunity to take advantage of that since.

Cha-Cha yelped. She knew he was planning something. And he called her a sneak? Oh, he was going to be so dead. He was going to pay dearly. As soon as she could breath again. Somehow she'd gotten the mug onto the table, but just barely. It was on it's side, the handle being the only thing preventing it from rolling off.

"Ed, I am going to kill you," Cha-Cha giggled out, her eyes squeezing shut. How did she find out about her left side?

His hands had been pretty much everywhere, but he had found one particular spot made her twitch more than any other. He remembered these things for moments like this. "That's not particularly intimidating at the moment, my dear." He enjoyed torturing her a little more, then let her breathe.

Cha-Cha breathed deeply as he finally let up. How did he know these things? While she could recite Judy Garland films forward and back, he was good at learning...other things. It was very nice for her, when he used his powers for good.

"Well, _dear_, you are going to pay dearly," Cha-Cha promised. She just had to figure out how.

"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" he teased. What could she possibly do? Nothing physical, of that he was reasonably certain. He could overpower her easily. "Now just imagine if you had a full cup of coffee. I warned you like, three times." He'd hoped it ended up this way, with her being able to get it on the table, but just in case he'd made sure to wait for it to cool.

"You shouldn't have been touching me anyway! Tummy is off limits," Cha-Cha instructed, covering her middle, particularily on the left side. Now she was never going to live this down. "And I will find your spot, Ed. Everybody's got one. Even big strong detectives."

"What do you mean off limits?" he asked with a laugh. "Can you define that, please? Because a few things could be hard to do if I can't touch your stomach..." Him? Ticklish? "And no, good luck, but I am not ticklish anywhere. I don't do ticklish."

"Edward, if that is your real name--" it occured to her that Ed could be a short form for a few different things. Had he ever called himself Edward? "Why must everything with you be dirty?" she shook her head at his insistance. "Yeah, okay, baby. I'll find it."

"You've called me Edward before, don't you remember?" he laughed. "But only my mother actually calls me that." If anyone else ever did, it was usually with her previous tone.

"I know, but hey, you could have been..." Cha-Cha paused, thinking about it. "An...Edgar. Or...Eduardo," she laughed to herself. Hey, it was possible! He could be an Edith if it weren't for you know...his gender...

Ed would die if his name was Edgar. Too many weird Edgar's in movies to take them seriously anymore. He wrinkled his nose. "I don't think so." His side was starting to complain about his position, so he dropped to the floor beside her, hugging one of her legs because it was there.

"Edgar is a...nice name. Harsh and everything, but...you know," Cha-Cha giggled, placing a hand on his arms on her leg. With a grin, she realized, "hey, you finally got your floor wish. Shower, floor...how much have I agreed to?" she asked in disbelief. Okay, fine, she was easy. When it came to him, anyway.

"Well this isn't my ideal floor wish," he chuckled. "I'd prefer carpet to tiling. And it was only in scenarios where falling off couches were involved. And being solo down here wasn't the plan either. But I guess I should take what I can get."

"Poor baby," Cha-Cha teased, poking his stomach with her toe. Just because it was there and she felt like it. Wasn't like he hadn't abused her stomach like mad before. Maybe she'd even get a laugh out of him.

Since his arms were around her leg, his hands couldn't reach to poke back. But his mouth was close to her knee. So he bit her. Playfully and softly of course.

Cha-Cha made a noise, sort of a half gasp, half giggle. "What are you doing?" she asked, grinning. A foot poke was the eqivalent of a bite? Since when?

"It was obviously self defense." He rested his chin on her knee, looking up at her innocently. She started it.

"Can we go out and do something today?" They hung around a lot. And apparently staying home wasn't much safer than being out.

"You better not have left a mark," Cha-Cha warned teasingly, trying to get a look at her leg without moving his head. Why did he have to be so cute sometimes??

"Sure...can I change my clothes first?" Cha-Cha added with a laugh. And maybe shower. And brush her teeth, oh ew. Despite how many times she'd kissed Ed, she refused to use anybody else's toothbrush. That was just gross. "But yeah, go out where?"

He nodded. He'd need a shower too. "I dunno. Somewhere. Where haven't we gone?" Please, it was New York. They had plenty of options, Eddie.

"Where haven't we...? Hmm..." That was a tough one. There really wasn't any main attraction that would pull them. "I dunno. Where can we go that's safe? I mean, it doesn't matter for one more person, I guess," she added quietly. But there were still a million and one other people they ha to keep it from.

"We'll think of something. First things first though," he said, releasing his hold on her leg and starting to stand up. "I need a shower." He pushed off the ground, and then headed for his bedroom. "You wanna come?"

Cha-Cha rose her eyebrow, but followed him regardless. Men. She swore he was worse than her in the one-track mind department. And she was a touch one to beat. "Yeah, this is gonna be productive." Whether they were still going out remained to be seen.

* * *

_A/N: Starting in two chapters we will begin to show our version of events surrounding Jesse L. Martin/Ed Green's last episode. **SPOILERS**. Many. Like, you'll pretty much know the whole story. So if you'd rather watch it first, just a heads up. _


	11. Here It Is

_A/N: The next chapter contains spoilers from Jesse L. Martin/Ed Green's last episode. Just a heads up, there shall be numerous **SPOILERS**._

* * *

Here It Is

Ed felt like an idiot, but it seemed like a logical solution. During his lunch hour and various parts of the following afternoon shift, he wrote down everything Cha-Cha had wanted to know. He thought she'd like to hear him explain it live, so she could ask questions, but there was still something about the topics that made him a little defensive when it came to questioning.

He dropped it off on his way up to his apartment. He didn't go over the top and mail it to her. He didn't even put it in an envelope. It was simply a piece of lined paper folded in half, slid under her door. It read:

_I hope this helps to clear things up._

_A friend of mine got me into gambling a few years after I made detective. It started as sort of a hobby or something. It got out of control through the following years, to the point Lennie got involved. Probably because I skipped too many days, and he couldn't take running after suspects. Just kidding? Anyway, at the time I was pissed off he got involved, but like he said, he was in AA and knew what it was like to get hooked. He knew someone who knew someone in GA, and eventually they got me to go. One of the best things Lennie has done for me, but I have yet to tell him so. I have a number to call if an urge comes over me and they'll talk me out of it, but for the past year or so I have been able to handle it myself._

_I met David (you're not getting a last name no matter how hard you try) in a gay bar, so the whole married thing wasn't something I expected. He didn't wear his ring around me, but eventually I did notice a certain finger had a light circle. Like I told you before, even when I knew I couldn't stop. I don't remember liking him that much, but I guess I enjoyed doing something wrong for once. You know, "a detective shouldn't be doing that" sort of thing? When his wife became pregnant he wouldn't see me again. I had begun to lose interest anyway. All he talked about was her. It drove me crazy, who knows why I stuck around that long._

_I'm sorry for never mentioning this. I didn't want you to see a gambling home wrecker. I still don't feel like talking about these two things, but if it means a lot to you to dig further, I will. Consider this one of the hoops I promised to jump through._

_Join me upstairs?_

_Ed._

Cha-Cha hadn't been expecting a visitor. She'd figured Ed was working, her girls wouldn't come unannounced...Walt maybe? No, not Walt. Carmine? Some other man, begging for her affections? These all seemed like possible options.

When she opened the door, however, there really wasn't anyone. She was just about to chalk it up to those damn neighbour kids, when she saw a note for her on the floor. Picking it up, she took it inside to read.

It took her a few minutes to get through, her eyes scanning over it at first to pick out the details. As soon as she knew what it was though, and who it was from, she started to read the whole thing word for word. And a few more times to get it all straight.

In about ten minutes her shoes were on and she was on the elevator, heading to his door. The note was still in her hand as she knocked gently on the door, waiting for his answer.

Ed hadn't been one hundred percent positive telling her that was good, but she had wanted to know. Hopefully knowing he intentionally screwed up wouldn't change her view of him too horribly...

At the sound of the knock he turned the TV down, but not quite off. He wanted background noise if things led to an awkward silence. Opening the door, he immediately saw the piece of paper. He hadn't expected her to bring it with her. But then, should he really have expected her to leave it downstairs, either?

"Hey baby," Cha-Cha greeted him. Not as perky as normal, it wasn't hard to notice. She was fingering one end of the note, her finger stuck in one of the paper's binder holes, tearing it slightly. Showing him the note, she started to let herself in. "Thank you. For telling me," she added, a small smile reaching her lips.

"You're welcome," he said, matching her smiles size. Ed moved a step back to let her walk in. Knowing she'd read it made him nervous and relieved at the same time.

He'd desperately wanted to sign it _I love you_. He almost had. What stopped him? He didn't want her to think he'd just thrown it on the end to make up for the rest.

Shutting the door, Cha-Cha moved a bit closer to him. Of course, she didn't approve of some of what he'd done. Part of her was even angry he hadn't told her sooner. But to be angry at him for dating a married man...she couldn't do that. Not when she'd done all that and worse. If anything, his reasons were better than hers. She'd always done it...really just to do it. Because she wanted to. Most of the time she fully knew what she was getting into, and it happened anyway. How could she call him a home wrecker without being a hypocrite? Not that she wasn't hypocritical sometimes, but he didn't need to know that yet.

As for gambling...well, everybody had their vices. It wasn't like he'd kept at it. If he said he was clean, then he was clean. She believed him. What was a gambling addiction, anyway? It didn't hurt anybody else. Self-destructive, yes. But so was skipping meals sometimes and wearing excessive make up. Okay, not really the same thing, but...

Cha-Cha wasn't making excuses just to make excuses. Really, she wasn't. Not entirely, anyway. She honestly didn't think his problems were the be-all end-all. And it took alot of courage for him to come out to her. If anything, she was proud of him. She admired him.

And the thought of ever breaking up with him was out of the question and incomprehensible. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him instead of speaking. It pretty much got her point across.

Ed returned the embrace. Okay, so it went alright. She wasn't yelling, anyway. Good.

He kissed the top of her head. He hoped she'd burn the note. He was close to saying what he couldn't write. He didn't. Partly because now he should be grateful she wasn't pissed off, and partly because he had sensed the few times he'd almost said it that she didn't want him to. So she wouldn't feel obligated to say it in return.

Cha-Cha wasn't sure what to say, so she settled for kissing him softly. Finally, she sighed, "You should've told me." Pretty much the only thing about it that was bothering her. She kept him close to her, the note still in one hand.

"It never came up." An excuse. And he didn't want to talk about it anymore than he had yesterday, but... he already put in writing that he would. He wouldn't ad liar to his list. But he did tell her now. Couldn't he get a few points for that? She had an angry-but-trying-to-hide-it vibe coming from her, and his first assumption was that it was over the content of the note. See, this is why he hadn't wanted her to know. Was it really that relevant to their current relationship? He had no intention of repeating anything he'd done.

"I know, hon. Which is one of the reasons why I'm not kicking you butt right now," Cha-Cha's smile grew slightly, one hand coming up to rub his back. She remembered how tense their first date was when he told her how quiet they'd have to be. If he'd tacked all that on, she probably wouldn't have seen him again and that would be that. But now, she was too deep in for her to leave him for this. Not being with him anymore was out of the question.

Ed hadn't invited her up here just for an awkward moment. He hoped they could have a relatively normal evening. Leaning back to look into her eyes, he asked, "We okay?" There was a slightly worried glimmer in his own. He'd messed up, he knew it, and he almost could admit it. Would she be satisfied with that?

"Unless you have any wives or dead bodies around here," Cha-Cha nodded her head, visibly relaxing in his arms. Nobody was mad at anybody, everybody was sorry for everything, they were okay, alright. Moving her arms around his neck, she leaned up to kiss him slowly. So he made some mistakes. Who didn't? At least he told her. Eventually.

"Oh, well, you didn't ask about those." Before she could say anything he quickly said "Just kidding" and kissed her again. Seriously, just kidding. He didn't want a repeat of any of this.

Cha-cha was about to protest when he kissed her. Well, she wasn't going to protest that. It was nice to see that he was in a laughing mood again, anyway. It depressed her when they fought. Well, semi-fought. Closing her eyes, she let one had touch his cheek. "And you're not mad at me, right?" she added. He hadn't been too happy the day before, that was for sure. But...she supposed he sort of had some justification. Just sort of.

"No, I'm not." He wasn't really mad at her yesterday either, more the situation. That hadn't been fair. The issues involving Lennie now definitely overshadowed his slight annoyance with her questioning.

"Good," Cha-Cha beamed, pressing a kiss to his throat. Good, then. As long as he was happy with her, too, they were very much okay. "So was that why you asked me up here? Do you have to do anything...?" she asked. If he was free, it would be nice to spend some time together. She wouldn't even make him talk.

Like he'd written, if she wanted to know anything else, today was the day to ask. After this evening it would be considered over and done with. It appeared she had no questions, thankfully.

"Well I haven't seen you since yesterday," he explained. Far too long. "I need my daily dose of Cha-Cha."

"Is that so? I'm that addicting?" Cha-Cha laughed, leaning up to kiss him. Alright, he was addicting too. Didn't mean she wouldn't take pride in her ability to snag him. It was her belief that you'd have to be crazy not to want to be with Ed Green.

"Actually, I did want to talk to you about something," it occurred to her and she began leading him to the couch. It was something she'd been thinking about for awhile, and would probably make for better conversation than the ones before.

Was this a good something or a bad something, he wondered. He followed closely behind. The last time she'd starting leading him this way hadn't ended well. On the other hand, he couldn't think of anything he'd done to set that off again, so this had to be a good something. Or at least mediocre.

Cha-Cha plopped down, patting the spot beside her. How to broach this? She never had before. The last time this happened, she'd all but been given an ultimatum. "Well, it's just...I've been thinking. You know, going up and down between our places every couple days...it's sort of a pain," she admitted. She was lazy, what did he expect?

Ed's eyes instantly sparkled. He remained calm, but if this was headed where he thought it might be... "Those elevators just take so much out of you." He said this as seriously as he could.

"You're lucky I made it up here today," Cha-Cha agreed. She gently pushed him closer to his corner, just so she could snuggle closer to him. "It would just be so nice if...oh, I don't know. That elevator was eliminated from the process. And if I saw you every day," she decided with a barely concealed grin as she kissed his jaw. She knew he knew what she was talking about.

Ed sunk into his corner, pulling her along with him. "I agree." An unexpected surprise that definitely made this week jump from worst to best in seconds. "My place or yours?" He hadn't thought of that last time, but, he could just as easily go down.

"Mmm..." Cha-Cha placed a hand on his chest, thinking about it. Either way would be okay. It would be nice to make him do all the work, but...at the same time, he was the one with the comfy sofa, DVD player, coffee maker that actually worked. "Yours works," she decided. It would be nice to make a new start, anyway. Her current place wasn't exactly hers to begin with.

"I'm going to be doing most of the moving, aren't I?" he asked, already imagining her getting tired after five minutes. A good chance to call on his friends. He'd get help and prove he had some at the same time.

"Well since you've suggested it," Cha-Cha grinned, tracing the buttons on his shirt. He pushed for it too hard to back out now, though. She was giving him what he wanted. "I'll understand if you need to rip your shirt off while you do it, of course. Totally understandable," she grinned to herself, looking up at him.

Ed rolled his eyes. "Of course." He wasn't backing out at all, just trying to get an idea of how things would go. "I think I feel the flu coming on..." This would definitely be a multi day project. Do it over some weekend, with maybe Friday for time to move and Monday to relax.

"No no, no getting out of it! If you have the flu you can't kiss me for a week," Cha-Cha pointed out with a grin. Was he really gonna try that one on her? She wasn't that dumb. Really.

Ed chuckled. "I'm sorry. I meant skipping out on work, not you. I forget you can't read my mind." He shifted a bit, moving so his arm could wrap around her better. The thought of a week with of no contact was horrifying. He would never get sick again.

"I wish I could though. You probably have some very interesting stuff up there," Cha-Cha teased, running a hand as best she could through his short hair. On second though, did she want to know? Gruesome bloodied bodies had to cross his mind sometimes, and that was really not her thing. Unless it was in the Saw saga. Then it was okayish.

"I have my moments," he nodded. "But if you swat me for some of my comments, I'm afraid of what you'd do if you could hear what I don't say..." Only partly joking. But her mind wasn't clean either, so she wasn't one to talk.

Cha-Cha just laughed, shaking her head. Of course. It would be filthy up there, if she knew him as well as she thought he did. "Well...if it's approving things about me, I might not mind," she teased, kissing his neck softly. If it was approving things about other people, or worse, disapproving things about her, he'd better believe she'd swat him.

"Always, always..." Occasionally too approving, if that was possible. He couldn't help it. She was hot, he was a guy, things happen. "But back to you moving in...how soon are you thinking?" Like, this second? Please?

"I dunno, baby...what do I have to do? I mean, it's not a big deal bringing all my stuff up; alot of stuff I won't need to bring up. Then again, my clothes might take awhile," she added with a laugh, thinking. She was fairly new to all this. "Do I have to put my place up for sale or something? Ooh, could I get money from this?" she asked excitedly.

"We'll talk to the landlord and see what we have to do." He thought a moment. "We could keep it." He didn't mean to sound like 'Just in case it doesn't work', he was thinking more along the lines of, what the hell, if we need it it's there.

"Keep it?" Cha-Cha rose her eyebrows. What would the point of that be? Two apartments...did they need it? "Ohh, I see. You want a place to put me if I get annoying," she guessed with a giggle. Hey, she could easily propose the same thing to him.

"That's not what I meant. It just might come in handy some how. But say the word and it's gone." He wouldn't have her thinking he had any reservations. Any second he wasn't working, he wanted to be home, and home with her.

"Do we need it?" Cha-Cha asked, tilting her head. She wanted to live with him. Why would they need her old apartment? "It's not like I need to keep my bed or...fridge and stuff. It's just a matter of the little things," she shrugged.

"Right," he nodded. Never mind then. He couldn't think of what they'd need it for either. Except, like she said... No, if they argued or got annoyed, no running away. "We won't need it. I'll talk to the landlord soon."

Cha-Cha beamed, snuggling closer to him. She couldn't believe this was happening. Then again, though, she felt closer to Ed than she ever had with Will. And to be honest, she sort of kind of wouldn't mind waking up in his arms every morning.

She kissed just below his collarbone through his shirt a few times, before resting her head there.

Ed held her quietly for a few minutes, content to just lay there. After a while he shifted again, disturbing her only momentarily. "Arm's asleep," he explained. Tugging lightly on her sleeve, he wanted her to move up a bit.

Cha-Cha sighed, kissing his chin softly as she shifted up a bit. "I was comfortable, you know," she told him in a voice that was trying to be annoyed. She wasn't very convincing. It was hard when she was pressing kisses against his jaw. Kind of defeated her point.

"You were too far away, you know," he said, matching that tone. He wanted in on the action. Well, hmm, on second thought, this wasn't half bad. Ed rolled his head to one side, giving her better access. Yeah, he'd just let her go about her business.

Cha-Cha grinned to herself, trailing kisses down his neck. He was too, too easy. And he thought she was easy to please. Eventually the kisses trailed up to his lips, brushing against them gently. Smiling at him, she kissed him again, deeper this time. Yeah, she could deal with living with Ed. Doing this whenever they had free time? It sure beat pre-planned visits and few and far between dates.

Ed felt the same way. He could get used to this every night. Return the favor regularly, of course. His hands moved under her shirt, enjoying the feel of her skin against his. His fingers massaged whatever they ran across, though taking special care to miss a certain area on her left side, while simultaneously pulling her as close to him as he could. And they hadn't even made it to the bed yet. "I'll never get a good night's sleep again," he breathed, a light laugh in his voice.

Cha-Cha laughed, kissing down to his throat gently. It wasn't the funniest thing in the world, but the giggle coincided with a moan, making it louder than it would've been. "You'll love it," she replied against his neck, her hands resting on his chest. When she moved in, she was pretty sure shirts would be optional. And greatly discouraged. This was just one unnecessary boundary.

"I don't doubt it," Ed agreed. Hands already under her top, he ran his hands up her back, bringing the shirt with them. Unable to get it over her shoulders unless she shifted around, he tugged insistently.

Cha-Cha rose her eyebrows as her back suddenly became cold and exposed. "Getting ideas, are we?" she teased. Not bad ideas, of course. And she wouldn't point out that she was already popping the top button of his shirt open. Hypocritical, Cha-Cha? No, never!

"I'm not thinking anything," he said. "Material caught on a nail or something..." A likely story. It had been proven far too many times that the couch was not a good place for excessive movements, but the removing of clothes and cuddling and playing around were fair game.

"Oh, I see. Well in that case, I'll accept the apology you didn't give," Cha-Cha grinned, reaching back to smooth her shirt back down over her back. Once it was down, she returned her fingers to his buttons, getting the second one open. Accidentally, of course.

Ed did it again. If his had to go, hers had to go. Only fair. He looked down at her fingers, an amused smile forming. "Thank you, I was getting a little hot anyway."

"This shirt is a terrible colour for your skin tone, Eddie. I'm doing you a favour," Cha-Cha replied casually. And would she dress him up in a nicer one? Well...maybe later. Shaking her head, "it's always something sexual with you, isn't it?"

"What?" he asked, feigning ignorance. "I was just commenting on how it's gotten a bit warm in here." That might not have been exactly what he was referencing, but that was his story now.

"Aww, poor baby. Here, I'll get off you so you can breath," Cha-Cha suggested with a grin, standing up and off him. Pulling the back of her shirt down, she casually began walking towards the bedroom. No sudden movements of course, but it was the general direction she was headed towards.

Ed was up and behind her in seconds. Rarely did he move that fast. Years of spontaneous sprinting finally put to good use. He picked up where she left off on his shirt as they walked.

Cha-Cha smirked, leaning up to kiss him quickly. "If I didn't know you better, I'd say you were eager," she teased. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she stopped where she was, not taking another step towards the bedroom.

Why did she have to tease him? She had to stop in the hallway, didn't she? For once he thought it'd be easy. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy playing her game, but on some nights like this he just wanted it to be her, him, and a bed. Simple as that.

Cha-Cha kept kissing him, oblivious to his frustration. Her arms were moving around his neck, before abruptly breaking away with a new idea. With a grin, she touched his forehead gently with the back of her hand. "Do you want me to get you some crushed ice? Since you're so hot and all," she added, pulling him towards the kitchen playfully.

"Cha-Cha, you're _killing _me," he whined. Here he had run all the way after her, too. A whole ten feet. Ed planted his feet firmly on the ground, refusing to get any closer to the kitchen.

Cha-Cha tried not to laugh. Exactly the reaction she'd been hoping for. The more he wanted her, the better it was for her in the end. "Alright, fine Ed," she sighed, kissing him softly. Pressing off him, she started making her way towards the kitchen. "If you can't move your feet, I'll just have to go there all by myself," she giggled.

Ed grasped her wrist just before it was out of reach and pulled her back. "I will drag you if I have to, babe," he teased. He took a few steps toward his room, just for show. His eyes glistened with a growing desire, and he was itching to get his hands on her.

Cha-Cha rose her eyebrows, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth. "I think I like when you call me 'babe'," she admitted, hesitating for just a second. Dammit, how did he find another of her weaknesses? And why was she complaining? Ultimately, it only pleased her more in the end. Still though, it was him getting the upper hand. She was torn between her two emotions, but the stronger one gave in. In two seconds she was back against him, kissing him passionately.

Apparently both wanted to be a leader, not a follower. It was in Ed's nature, and also a habit from work, to have the dominant personality. Similar to how pet names just weren't in his nature. Like Cha-Cha had jokingly put it, he was the 'straight' type. He tended to date the 'straight' type. Words like 'sweetheart' or 'honey' or 'babe' didn't (often) flow in those scenarios for him. But they worked with Cha-Cha, and she liked them, and he was getting in the swing of things.

Triumphant for once, Ed kept her close as he stepped backwards toward the bedroom.

* * *

_A/N: Cha-Cha was played by **Operatic**. Join her roleplay, Great Big Apartment! It's so much fun. Seriously. Best decision I ever made xD _

_So the next chapter has spoilers from **Jesse L. Martin/Ed Green's** last episode. **SPOILERS**. If you haven't seen it yet and don't want the ending to be wrecked, find it and watch it before you continue reading. But our version is better. Just saying xD Kidding? _


	12. Suspicious Minds

_A/N: **SPOILERS**. Our version of what really happened in **Jesse L. Martin/Ed Green's last episode** starts now. _

* * *

Suspicious Minds

The victim had been in gambling trouble. Ed could sympathize all too well. Skipped GA meetings? Debts? Hit too close to home. Then when the victim had led to the blonde, the blonde to the red head, the red head had to mention Bunny, and... Ed sighed, walking home. It was a horrible mess.

Ed Green had shot Bunny. Killed him. What was he supposed to tell Cha-Cha when she asked where he was last night? And this morning? It was almost a quarter past noon, and he was on his way home, dry cleaning in one hand, groceries in the other, when Lennie met him outside his apartment.

Ed looked at Lennie with an apologetic, defeated look as their conversation ended. "Gonna have to trust me. Please." And with that he left him, heading for his apartment.

Cha-Cha had decided that when it came to moving, the least important things had to come up first. Somehow--and she was very proud of herself for this--somehow she had lugged a box of at least twenty VHS tapes up to his apartment. All by herself! With the elevators help of course, but that didn't count. It was all her muscles. For once in her life, Cha-Cha felt strong. At the moment she was in the process of looking through his movies, trying to see how many of hers she had to get rid of. Ed had some very interesting taste.

She'd wanted to come over the night before, but he wasn't home. Odd, how at nearly nine, he still wasn't picking up. She knew he worked late often, but she'd thought he'd been picking up more hours to spend with her. She supposed he couldn't get time every day, and eventually gave up, sleeping in her own bed for the first time in a week.

She was kneeling in front of his tv, two VHS tapes in hand and a scarf in a long wig. After about a half hour of work, she heard a key turn in the lock.

Ed was a professional. His stature, his personality, his clothes, all reflected how he saw himself. He dressed professionally even on days off.

Except today. He was wearing jeans. He hated jeans, but he no longer felt...well, professional. As he opened his door, struggling a moment as he juggled all the stuff in his hands, he thought he heard a noise from the other room. He hesitated. Had she spent the night alone here? Did she know he had never come home?

"Cha-Cha?" he called.

Cha-Cha got onto her feet, opening the door for him. "Hey baby..." she greeted, trailing off as she saw him. Was...who...did Ed have a brother? A jeans wearing, poor boy cap, down on his luck twin? Cause that's what she was seeing. Reaching out to take the dry cleaning from him, she knew it was obvious she was staring.

"Did you go to work like that?" she asked, shutting the door and hanging the clothes on the doorknob.

"No, I didn't work today." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek, still thinking about Lennie and Bunny and... He made for the kitchen. Ed could feel her eyes on him, knowing he didn't look anything like he normally did. "Move some more stuff up today?" he asked.

"Oh," Cha-Cha replied softly, thinking. He must have come home really late then. Nodding her head, she followed him into the kitchen to help put things away.

"Work late last night?" she asked, reaching up on her toes to put something in the cupboard.

"Yeah." He fished for something in the bag, then stepped toward the fridge. "Lennie and I got a tough case yesterday." How do you tell your lover you killed someone last night? He turned to face her after he put the item away. Wished he had his sunglasses on. He knew his eyes were betraying his otherwise cool exterior.

Cha-Cha nodded, watching him carefully. No kidding. Ed looked...positively beat down. It was a way she'd never really seen him before. Even when the cases were tough--five or so months of dating, there had been some hard ones--but she'd never seen him so...

It was hard for her to put a finger on his expression. It was like...how he was after Lennie came over. Only magnified by a couple hundred. "What happened?" she asked softly, taking a step towards him.

"Two drunk idiots tried to use this guys credit card. Cops thought something was weird, 'cause they were wheeling him down the street on a chair." Ed crossed his arms. "He ended up being dead. Lennie and I tracked down his girlfriend, who said the man wasn't keeping up with GA meetings." He knew how that felt. "Lieu didn't know about my gambling issue. I only told Lennie. But now Internal Affairs knows, and they aren't letting up because..." He was a gambler, home wrecker, killer.

While Ed spoke, Cha-Cha grabbed the hat off of his head and put it on the counter. She couldn't help it. It just wasn't him; the style was too...lax. Too casual. Well, the whole ensemble wasn't really right for him, to be honest. She wanted her handsome man in his suit.

"Because...?" she asked as he trailed off, finally having the food sense to listen, rather than fuss over his outfit. Obviously something was up, but she had no idea what. Could he have told someone about her? Or had someone found out? Someone who was less accepting than Lennie was...she wasn't sure what to think. What if he was doing to to throw her off? Maybe the won the lottery, you never knew.

Or maybe, something really was wrong. Deep down, Cha-Cha was pretty certain that was the answer.

"I..." His mouth moved, but nothing came out on his first try. With all that happened, he didn't want her to know. But keeping secrets from her turned out being useless. She would always find out. Eventually, word would get to her or she'd figure it out. "I...killed the suspect."

At first, Cha-Cha was certain she'd heard him wrong. What he said...that just wasn't right. It couldn't be. Her man was a cop, not a killer. It was a giant...contradiction. It didn't make sense. It was like something out of a really bad movie--and Cha-Cha wasn't as picky about her films as she liked to think she was.

But deep down, she knew this wasn't a movie, and it was very, very real. After so many months, Cha-Cha believed she knew Ed's character pretty well. This just wasn't right. In a minute, she'd probably be more observant of the giant grey area. But at the moment, it was black and white. Ed was a killer. Taking a step back, she looked up into his eyes to make sure he wasn't joshing her around. The truth was pretty plain right there.

"Ed..." it was louder than a whisper, but her regular voice failed her. This was something she could believe about someone else; another cop maybe, a person on the street, a character in a book, but Ed Green? There was nothing she could think of to say that would even come close to what she was thinking. Her face had almost a frightened expression, the distance between them larger with the step she took. Her feet wanted to move out of the kitchen, but she couldn't will herself to go just yet.

Ed Green was no murder, her mind persisted. He absolutely couldn't be. But the look in his eyes was terrifying her with the fact that he was telling the truth. The word 'suspect' hadn't registered yet. Any innocence on Ed's side, any possibility of self defence or the like, none of that was even on her mind. She was focused on the present issue. The man she was...more than just half in love with...had killed a man.

Her retreat hurt. Her expression...that way she was looking at him was devastating. Ed was afraid to move toward her, worried his love was now afraid of him. They'd said no secrets anymore, right? Well, maybe there really was an exception to every rule. But aside from wanting to try to keep honesty going, Ed needed...a shoulder to cry on. Or at least lean on, if he wouldn't allow tears.

At the moment, his eyes were getting dangerously close to watering too much. Jeans, street clothes, _tears_? If he hadn't scared her with his news, he had no doubt this new side of him would. "I..." He couldn't tell her exactly what had happened, but he got close. "Cha-Cha everyone is so close to knowing about...everything. They tracked this guy to a club I used to go to a few years ago." Ed fell into a kitchen chair, roughly rubbing a hand down his face, as if he could remove the guilty look. His breathing had accelerated from his nerves. "An illegal...illegal gambling ring...I was caught up in it a while back but I'm _clean _now, but...it was a gay friendly club..." Lennie finds out last week, the whole world this week? "The man knew I was a regular back then, I couldn't let..." No, that would sound like he'd gone there intentionally to kill him. To prevent him from talking. "I went to give him a heads up the police were coming, to scram..."

Cha-Cha was trying to listen, but she still felt like she was talking to someone she barely knew. She sat into the chair across from his slowly, not meeting his eyes just yet. Focusing on the table, her hands, anything but him. There was more than one reason. It was pretty ridiculous how he'd just told her something like that, and she was still getting an urge to make him feel better. As surprised, as angry as she was, she still had some sort of urge to go over to him. A small one, but it was expanding as she listened to him. She refused to look straight at him. As much as she was being urged, she just didn't want to hug him. No yet.

She was beginning to see the buts and ands she hadn't been able to before, though. Obviously Ed hadn't just walked into a room and decided to shoot someone. Okay. But it still wasn't adding up and she looked up at him, the confusion evident on her face.

"He shot first, Cha-Cha. Trust me on that, he shot first." She didn't want secrets between them, he was starting to think that she didn't want the truth either. She'd read about it in the paper this afternoon, anyway. If he had let one get inside the apartment. Did she read it at all? Watch the news? ...No, hearing it that way would not have been better. "It was him or..." Could he get at least one little glance? "He shot first."

That bought Cha-Cha's eyes up. Clearly, she hadn't considered that before. When it came to Ed being hurt or this...she would probably have to choose this. She was surprised with her own choice. But Ed with blood on his hands was apparently ten times more attractive to her than Ed in a hospital bed. Or worse. "Are you hurt?" she asked him, that thought beating all the others to get out of her mouth. Well...at least she had some priorities. And apparently, Ed was always at the top of them.

"No, I'm fine." Well, fine was a relative term. Fine compared to being dead. Or shot. But mentally? Not fine. Not even close. He should have mentioned him being shot at first earlier. At least she was looking at him, right? "I'm sorry." Sorry for telling her? For shooting the man named Bunny? For scaring her?

Cha-Cha didn't answer that. What was she supposed to say? 'It's alright'? It wasn't alright. But at the same time, it wasn't...not alright. She was relieved he was safe. It didn't change the fact he'd killed the man. "So what now?" she asked after a few minutes. Would there be a trial? Would he go to jail? He probably hadn't even come home the night before.

"I don't know yet. They're still investigating. I haven't been arrested or indited or anything. The IA guys don't really know what's going on." Ed didn't even know what was going on. The silence was deafening, and he wanted to retreat as much as she did. "I'm gonna...go to the precinct. Talk to Lieu." Take home his personal stuff. Just in case. He stood slowly. Even with her across from him, Ed was feeling incredibly isolated. If he had to feel lonely, he'd rather feel lonely alone.

Cha-Cha nodded her head, not trying to stop him. They both needed space, she knew she did. This still didn't feel real to her, like she were watching it happen to somebody else. It would make alot more sense that way. Every time she looked at him, though it grew more apparent that this was no joke. "Maybe I'll head down for awhile, then," she said quietly.

"You don't have to leave, Cha-Cha, really. You can stay here." It wasn't just his apartment, it was supposed to be their apartment. It appeared that not getting rid of hers in a hurry would be useful, though, because she didn't look like she was staying.

He started to walk out of the kitchen. His hand reached for her shoulder, but he quickly changed his mind and kept walking. She'd come to him when she was ready, he decided. "I'll be back in an hour or so."

"Here's hoping," Cha-Cha replied to herself. Elbows on the table, she rested her head in her hands. The emotions inside her really were battling it out, and she had no idea what to do or where to go. She wanted to be mad, she wanted to be scared. She had a damn good reason to be. But at the same time...this was Ed. Her Ed. It wasn't as easy as just walking away.

Ed arrived at the precinct to find Lieu waiting for, along with the two Internal Affairs men. Ed slowly approached his boss's office. The meeting didn't go well at all, and he swallowed hard before beating a hasty retreat. He couldn't stay here, he was afraid to go home. To find it empty.

He drove to their apartment building slowly. Took the stairs up. He couldn't help but laugh at how he'd been so worried to tell her he used to gamble. If only that were the sole issue here. Or that the worst that he'd done was date David for a while.

Cha-Cha had gone downstairs for a little bit, but ended up returning. As alone as she felt, it seemed to be worse in her own place. At least upstairs, she could at least pretend everything was okay. Even when it really wasn't, she didn't have to deal with really and honestly not being around him.

She was on the couch, My Left Foot playing on the TV. She wasn't really watching it, but she needed some background noise. The silence was killing her, and she needed to at least sort of get it all off her mind. It wasn't working, and she ended up staring blankly at the wall. She wasn't even crying like she usually did during this one. As much as she needed to cry, it hadn't come out yet.

Cha-Cha didn't look up when she heard him at the door, just sank further into the couch.

Ed walked lamely into the living room. He'd lost his badge. Guns. Respect. He felt exposed. His arms hung loosely at his sides, looking at her as she avoided looking at him. "I was suspended." Without pay. For how long? It didn't matter. He wasn't exactly lacking in money. Though she didn't know that, yet. Now wasn't really the time to broach that though. "I'll be in the other room." He didn't want to know if she never looked up.

Cha-Cha closed her eyes, but didn't look up. It was one thing after the other, apparently, and she really would be fine with it ending. She was completely torn. She didn't want to go in there, she didn't want to face him, she didn't want to get into it. But at the same time, she couldn't force herself to pretend she didn't care. He was a huge part of her life, huger than she'd even realized before.

After a few moments she shut the TV off, slowly getting onto her feet. Following him, she stood at the door way, still unsure of what to say to him.

Ed was in front of the dresser in the bedroom, nails drumming on it anxiously. He hadn't not been a detective for nine years. What was next? It was enough dealing with the guilt of ending a life. Tack on hurting Cha-Cha, losing his job, the possibility of jail... But he had certain things to protect. It was already over and done with. His eyes closed, again the threatening of tears. Unacceptable. At least Cha-Cha was in the other room, right?

Cha-Cha sighed deeply, leaning against the doorway. She wanted to go to him more than she could even say. Part of her, though, the stubborn part, didn't want to give in that easily. Not when she knew what he'd done. How could she comfort him without giving in? It was pretty much impossible, right? "Baby..." she said finally. She was surprised a pet name had come out so easily, buy what could she say? It was habit by this point. "What can I do?"

Ed straightened at her voice. He still managed to keep a small bit of pride? No breaking down in front of her? After all that he was still a guy. Blinking quickly before he turned around, he let out a nervous, shaky laugh and said, "Tell me I didn't just ruin my life?" He had his reasons for shooting Bunny. It had been either him or... He thought he did the right thing. But it still felt horrible. He'd killed someone before, but it was in a scenario completely different. Ten people firing all at once, witnesses saying that it had been justifiable. Not him alone on a street. "That I didn't ruin you and me." If he had scared her enough to leave...

"You're alive," Cha-Cha swallowed. She hadn't cried when he broke the news, she hadn't cried over Daniel Day Lewis, but hearing him talk like that was making it very easy. The desire to hug him was overwhelming, and she took a step closer to him. "That's a huge thing. I'd rather it this way, than..." she trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence. At his second question, Cha-Cha bit her lip hard. "I'd rather it this way," she repeated, taking another step.

Ed kept telling himself she was right. He was alive. And suspension didn't mean forever. It was only temporary. He hadn't officially been accused of anything yet. He shouldn't be, he was defending a life. Jack knew him. Lieu knew him. They all did. He wasn't a murderer.

She was still too far away. He didn't want to push it, but, he needed her. Guilt was overwhelming him. Because he still hadn't told her everything.

Ed mumbled to himself, "I _had _to go to a gay club, to top it off. Bad enough it was illegal..." He'd take Lennie barging in on him and Cha-Cha over this. He didn't know if Cha-Cha could hear or understand him. Had that problem even sunk in yet for her? The IA men had figured it out, it was only a matter of hours before it got to everyone else.

Cha-Cha watched him, and couldn't help herself anymore. Closing the distance between them, she put a hand on his arm gently. The first contact they'd made since he told her. But she didn't want him to get the wrong impression. She would stay with him, despite him killing a man? She had to be crazy. Well, that wasn't exactly news to her, but still.

"An illegal gay club?" Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow. What would make it illegal? Unless it was like...a sex club or something, but if he was there there would only be more problems. It suddenly struck her that if they knew he was at a gay club... "They know?" she asked with wide eyes, finally putting it together.

"It was a gambling club. The fact it was gay was just an added bonus." At the time, anyway. It had been a rush to be breaking two rules at once. Now it seemed like anything but.

Ed placed a hand on hers. "If they don't now, it's only a matter of time." Would Lennie admit he'd known, or act shocked in front of Lieu?

Cha-Cha paused. "Did you gamble?" she asked slowly. Hadn't he told her, he was clean. It had been years ago. She didn't believe he'd lie to her like that, but if he slipped up once...how many times could he make that mistake?

She turned her hand to clasp his, squeezing it gently. She wanted to hold him, but didn't make that move yet. "Oh Eddie..." she whispered. Okay, there were some pluses, right? They wouldn't have to hide anymore. And hey, maybe there were some open minded people on the force. There had to be some, right? She was pretty sure some detective somewhere in the precinct had had to work with a gay person before.

"_Years _ago, Cha-Cha. I haven't been there in years. Except last night. But I was just looking for a suspect, I thought he might be there. I was in and out in ten seconds." It wasn't exaggerating, either. Bunny wasn't there, Ed left. "He ended up being outside, one thing led to another." It was a vague description, but he couldn't give her the details of that.

Cha-Cha nodded. Years ago, she'd known. As long as he wasn't starting up again, she understood. Of course, what he'd done was ten times worse and fifty times more illegal than gambling, but if it was self defence... "Can't you tell them that Bunny shot first? That's gotta be understandable," Cha-Cha asked, frowning softly.

After a moment of holding his hand, she gave up on any resolve she had. Letting go of his hand, she moved into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his shoulder.

"It's not that easy." Although he thought it should be. Wished it was, anyway. Her embrace meant more than he could say. Everything was falling apart at the seams, he needed something to hold him together. "If I'd just grazed him or something, maybe, but not this. But Jack knows me. He knows I wouldn't have done it if I didn't need to."

"They have to know you wouldn't do that," Cha-Cha agreed with wide eyes. He'd been working there...eight, nine years, right? How could they think any differently? Especially with a record as spotless as Ed's. She held him tighter, nuzzling his shoulder gently.

Ed's fingers didn't play with her shirt. He didn't move to kiss any part of her. He didn't want to move at all, so he couldn't do anything wrong. He'd take what he got gratefully and thank God she wasn't walking away. "It should all work out." Did he believe that? Not really. And about the other problem... "This isn't how I wanted Lieu to know about us." Or Channel 4 News, either.

"Are you sure?" Cha-Cha asked hopefully. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was leaving. She wasn't. If it was self defence...that was that. How could she leave him for that? Nodding her head, she lifted her head. "I know. But...at least she knows the truth. At least we should give her something to know," she added. Basically her way of asking for a kiss.

Ed didn't answer her question. Forcing a weak smile, he pressed his lips lightly against hers. The relief that she'd hold him, kiss him, was immeasurable. He'd have to repay her someday, if he could ever find a way. He held her again quietly for a few minutes before he realized how tired he was.

"I didn't get much sleep last night," he said softly. "I think I need to lay down for a bit."

Cha-Cha nodded, kissing him again gently. She'd left his living room a mess, tapes and DVDs all over the place. Well...she could put it away later. All she wanted at then moment was to be close to him. It was starting to sink in, the fact that she could have lost him the night before. Things like that made her not want to be away from him.

"I'll stay with you," she decided, not making it a question.

Ed's smile grew stronger. Not near what it would normally be, but the best it had been today. He let go of her and walked the few paces to the bed, pulling back the comforter and sheet. Realizing he wasn't wearing clothes comfortable to sleep in, he shed his jacket and jeans before climbing into bed.

Cha-Cha went to his mirror, pulling the bobby pins from her wig. "I can't believe this is happening," she admitted, watching her reflection. Going to bed with all her makeup on wasn't the best idea in the world, but at the moment she had troble caring about her skin.

It really was hitting her now; that he'd been shot at. That it was luck he'd made it home. All of that was overriding any of her previous anger, any of her previous fear. Fear of him, anyway; the only worries now was that he'd get in trouble for something he had to do. She hadn't cried yet, but this realization was making her want to. As much as she was trying to keep it down, the pain was there.

Climbing into bed, she wrapped her arms around him, getting noticeably closer than usual. She couldn't understand why anyone would want to hurt Ed, but she'd seen enough movies to sort of get an idea. There were people out there, so close minded and cowardly, they would shoot a cop just to keep themselves innocent. "You realize I'm pretty much never letting you out of my sight again, right?" she added with a half smile, a little bit serious.

Ed chuckled softly, holding her gently. "I won't fight that," he said. "Obviously I can't do anything without you." He'd stayed home to move her in that week. First day back on the job, he commits a felony.

It was one in the afternoon, and he was going to sleep. Was he going to be up all night because of it? Probably not. He could make himself sleep to prevent thinking any more today. He'd be rested, and hopefully a bit more composed, when he face Lieu again tomorrow. She'd wanted him to come in. Said she had something to tell him or ask him or something, he hadn't really been listening.

"Detective Briscoe," she greeted him, biting the corner of her lip. "Ed's out cold."

Lennie hadn't anticipated Cha-Cha being here again. He later thought he should have, but... this still wasn't something he was used to. Neither was the sight of the young man with makeup. He nodded a hello and said, "I thought I might be able to talk to him."

Cha-Cha glanced towards the bedroom. Ed had gone straight to sleep; she'd had trouble getting out of his arms in time. "Is it something I can pass back to him?" she asked, moving back to let him in.

There were a few boxes around the apartment filled with her possessions, not to mention the mess in front of the TV. It was easy to see that something was up. "Do you want some coffee?" she added. She had to at least try to be hospitable, make a good impression. Even though she was the last person Lennie wanted to see.

_Ed knew he was dreaming. He wouldn't be back in that gambling club, not after what had happened. Not with the risk of upsetting Cha-Cha possible. So what was he doing here in a dream? Was he going to be forced to relive last night?_

Contrary to popular belief, Cha-Cha had moved up on Lennie's list. Those damn IA investigators were now the last people he wished to come into contact with. As awkward as talking to his partners girlfriend without him present was.

"Sure," he said, entering slowly. He hoped Ed would wake up while he was there. Eying the room curiously, he couldn't help but wonder, "Moving in?" Lennie forgot to answer her first question.

"In the process of it," Cha-Cha nodded, heading to the kitchen. She motioned for him to follow her in, and she began setting the coffee on. "I live literally right below Ed, so it's sort of a slow process. Just bringing everything up..." she didn't mention how it'd been interrupted. It didn't take a genius to figure that out.

"How are things?" she asked. Info about Lennie's life was great, but honestly she was hoping to hear more about the status of Ed's case.

_Something was off. He didn't have his weapon. This definitely was a dream, he wouldn't really do something that stupid. But it appeared to be the middle of the day in this dreamland, not night. Good, it wasn't a repeat of the catastrophe. What was the point then?_

Lennie nodded. "Even though anyone could show up?" he asked, referring to how he'd done just that. "Guess he figures might as well since everyone knows." He didn't know they'd planned to before.

He dropped into a chair. This...wasn't as awkward as he originally thought. That realization was a bit scary. "I'm gonna assume you're wonderin' about Ed?" What would she care about an old guy like him, right? "Things aren't going so well. I'm sure you know more than I do, apparently he hasn't been telling me as much as I thought he was."

Cha-Cha shrugged. "Honestly, he asked me to...over a month ago. We only started the week before...this," she frowned, watching the pot fill. She wished she hadn't waited so long to agree. They could have been done right now, rather than having another thing piled onto the already unimaginable situation.

"How do you mean, 'not so well'?" Cha-Cha asked, her frown growing. How could it not go so well? It was self defence, what more did they need?

_Ed walked through the tables, a few old regulars greeting him. So he wasn't invisible. No Christmas Carol thing going on. Okay. He could deal with this scenario. That was when he spotted the heels. Skirt. Wig. A drop dead gorgeous queen. But it wasn't his Cha-Cha. Ed wanted to wake up that second._

Lennie looked at her, surprised. "When you said 'this' I took that to mean you knew what he'd done." Ed had told her, hadn't he? "Shot that Bunny character?"

"Well yeah, I know that," Cha-Cha clarified. If Ed hadn't told her that...then there'd be problems. "But do you know more about his case? They know it was self defence, right?" she pressed. Any new information, maybe she should wake Ed up for. "Sugar?" she added, holding up the white package. "Cream?"

_It shouldn't have been such a surprise. It may have been an illegal gambling ring, but it was also a gay friendly illegal gambling ring. Perfectly logical that drag queens would be there. That Ed would know a few, you know, just from hanging around often. Yeah. But as she advanced he panicked. Would she reach him just as a dream Cha-Cha walked in the door? He had enough trouble in real life, couldn't he sleep peacefully?_

"Nah, nah, I'm good," Lennie said, waving the sugar and cream away. He continued talking, the idea that Ed might not have told her everything hadn't crossed his mind yet. He was actually hoping Cha-Cha had information for him. "Self defense," he nodded. "That's what he's saying, and that's what we're hoping. But him having a bad history with this guy ain't helping his case much, you know what I mean? Threatening to get Bunny thrown in jail, beatin' the crap outta him a few years ago... Ed should have known this would surface eventually, stuff like this always does. Did he tell you what happened? 'Cause all we got is a bartender saying Ed owed him money and didn't feel like paying." He hadn't let her get a word in, going into a slight rant.

As Lennie talked, Cha-Cha had her back to him, finishing up the coffee. He couldn't see her expression. Finally, she turned around to look at him.

"What...?" she asked slowly. When Ed had been going over it with her, a previous connection to Bunny had never been mentioned. He'd gone down to talk to him, Bunny shot first. Nothing about debts. Nothing about a fight. Nothing about any possibility of Ed's guilt. "They knew each other?"

_Ed found he was rooted to the spot. Of course. Was this supposed to symbolize something? Okay, he needed to learn to face problems and deal with them accordingly. Lesson learned, he could go now. ...Or not. Soon Ed was being hugged hello, and now he was moving enough to sit down, and he was being handed cards. This didn't count as cheating, right? It was a dream. He didn't want to! And he wasn't intentionally gambling. If there was some moral here he was totally missing it._

Uh oh. Lennie realized he'd made a mistake. Apparently Ed wasn't telling anybody anything. "Well, hey," he began, backtracking. "Witnesses have been known to lie. And we all know Ed is a good guy, there's gotta be more to it." He wanted to say they still didn't know why he had gone to New Jersey, but what if she didn't know that either? Lennie felt for his partner. The look in her eyes was intimidating for even this old pro.

Cha-Cha didn't listen to a word Briscoe said. "He didn't tell me any of that. My boyfriend's a hit man!" she exclaimed, running a hand through her short curls. Self defence--pah, of course Bunny would shoot first. He was probably fearing for his own life! Finally looking toward Lennie again, there was no mistaking her anger. "Tell me everything you know," she pleaded, accidentally shoving the coffee at him in her own disgust. That didn't sound a thing like Ed. But addiction could do a strange thing to people, and the thought of him acting that way made her feel terrible.

_Reminisce about the old days? Was that it? The present sucks so his brain retreats to yesteryear? The next thing he knew Bunny was there, and he was standing up and yelling without really knowing what he was saying. A punch or two was thrown, then it all seemed to fade to black with the echoing sound of a gun shot. He hadn't had his weapon. He wasn't shot. Who the hell fired?_

Lennie shifted nervously. "Look, if Ed didn't tell you I don't think I should. I mean, we don't know the whole story yet. We're not done investigating, not even close. Ed's a good cop. He had a rocky patch in his personal life a few years ago, but that didn't effect his duties then, and he sure ain't a crooked cop now."

Cha-Cha knew Lennie was right on some respect. But why had he left all of that out? "He owed Bunny?" she persisted, not about to give up. Lennie had said it, he couldn't un-say it, and she firmly believed she had the right to know. Whether Ed had the sense to tell her or not. "How many years ago was this? Cause Ed swore to me he's clean, and I wanna believe that much."

_When he could see again the three of them were outside. The sun was shining, and everything was perfectly clear. Bunny was on the ground, Ed down the street, the drag queen nearby.She fired? What? Was this supposed to be telling him it wasn't his fault Bunny was dead? Of course it was. He'd really shot him. Police appeared, and they ignored him completely, handcuffing the queen and leading her away. If this was supposed to be setting him at ease, it wasn't working. He had shot Bunny in reality. He fired, he did it, he was guilty. She wasn't involved. She had nothing to do with it. Nothing...he'd see to that._

"We don't know that for a fact yet," Lennie explained. "It's just what's going around. I guess it happened, I don't know two years ago? Internal Affairs thinks Ed went there to kill him intentionally, to keep him quiet about the alleged debt, but the rest of us know Ed better than that. You, of all people, should know him better than that." And to answer her question without any doubt, he said firmly, "That kid hasn't gambled since."

Cha-Cha nodded, her head resting in her hands. Okay. So he was clean, but... "There was definitely a fight between them?" she couldn't figure out why he'd neglected to tell her all this. It didn't make it worse. Really. "Or could Ed be telling me the truth?"

"The bartender said Ed beat the crap outta Bunny, said 'Let it go, or you'll wind up in jail just like that'. But we don't have any proof that happened, just her word. We got our best guys working on this, don't worry." Well, worry a little bit. "And that other witness was too drunk to see straight, his testimony won't mean much."

Cha-Cha nodded her head, thinking. So Ed may not have full out lied to her. But he definitely omitted some information. If only she could figure out why. Whether it was true or not, something like that could really affect him. "Lennie...do you think it's gonna be okay? I mean...he's been there for nine years, and there's gotta be some truth behind the self defence. I don't believe he'd kill somebody over that," she frowned. She loved Ed too much to believe that. "You think he'll get off...right?"

"I know he's a good guy," Lennie said. At least it hadn't occurred to her to ask for the drunken statement. "But he has kept every bit of information to himself from the start, and that doesn't look good. He isn't cooperating like he should. He's begging us all to trust him but he ain't trusting us with whatever is really going on." That hadn't really answered her question. "Ed's a good guy," he repeated. "We aren't supposed to jail the good guys. We don't have enough to spare." It wasn't a definite yes or no, although it was far from putting her mind completely at ease.

Cha-Cha sighed, the coffee she'd made herself completely ignored. That wasn't what she'd wanted to hear. A kind reassurance, a pat on the back, a wave of the hand, those would have been wonderful. But in the end, she supposed she'd prefer the truth over that. She'd been lied to one too many times that day. "Is there something you need to tell him? I could go get him up now, if you want. I know I need to talk to him," she added in a mumble.

Lennie did want to ask him something, but he knew he had said enough in front of Cha-Cha to keep Ed busy all day. His next bit of information might push her a little too far, and his partner needed all the support he could get. The old detective drained his mug and started to stand. She may have been ignoring hers, but free coffee was never passed up by this man. "I'll give him a call later." No, he might have to answer in front of her. Or change it because he was in front of her. "Or, I'll see him tomorrow."

Cha-Cha nodded, slowly standing up. Hopefully Ed would be up soon, anyway. She wanted the truth from him, and she intended to get it. "You think he's innocent, right?" she wanted to make sure. Lennie had known him alot longer than Cha-Cha had. As much as she hated to say it, he'd probably know better than her. Obviously, he'd already told Lennie more than he trusted her with. He'd have a better idea than she would; hopefully less biased than her was, too. It was hard for her to imagine that Ed could actually, rightfully be guilty.

Lennie forgot to mention that no, Ed actually hadn't told him any of this. He'd dug it up on his own. Things were suspicious and hard to understand, but this was Ed Green they were talking about. There had to be a logical explanation that would clear it all up, if only his partner would get his act together and start talking. "I know he is," he said. "We just gotta convince everyone else."

Cha-Cha nodded her head, satisfied with that answer. She believed he was innocent, too. It was good to hear Lennie say it, though. Lennie would know better than anyone. "Good. Thanks for telling me this," Cha-Cha paused, a smile coming onto her face for the first time in awhile. "I think I like you, Lennie. You tell me all Ed's dirty secrets, and you don't know enough about me to return the favour," she giggled softly.

"Yeah, you're welcome," he grumbled, heading for the door. As an after thought he grabbed one of his cards from his pocket and handed it to her. "If he tells you anything..." Any information would help greatly. Lennie could imagine his partners reaction when he found out he'd yet again given him away. "_I'm gonna be the next one he shoots_..." he mumbled as he left.

"Thanks, Lennie," Cha-Cha took the card, reading it quickly. She didn't even know detectives had cards. Shutting the door, she shoved the card in her pocket and tried to go over the positives. Ed could very easily still be innocent. He may not have even full out lied to her. And talking to Lennie wasn't as awkward as she'd anticipated (though she could tell she was still far from Lennie's favourite person).

Sighing, she headed back towards their bedroom. If he was up, he was talking. If not...she could wait.

Ed was still thinking about his dream when she appeared in the doorway. He was still bleary eyed and half asleep, but as he slowly blinked in her direction, one look was all it took to know she was not a happy camper. Close eyes. Roll over. Pretend to sleep.

Cha-Cha met his eyes when they opened, and rolled hers as he turned over again. Of course. "Ed, you just missed you partner," she said gently, though it was easy to hear the annoyance in her voice. Briefly, she wished Lennie had never come over. She'd much rather be snuggled in his arms than be annoyed with him. But now she knew more than Ed had the sense to tell her, and in the long run that was more important.

Oh. Yeah. That would do it. Ed curled his fingers into fists, gripping the comforter silently. _Lennie, what do you know, and what did you tell her_? her wondered. Apparently his partner couldn't help but ruin his life whenever he got it on the right track. "Oh...damn," he sighed, not trying hard to be very quiet. He rolled to face her. "I was going to get more detailed after the initial shock wore off," he lied.

"I see," Cha-Cha nodded, not too terribly convinced. She moved to sit on the bed, leaning her back against the headboard. She wasn't one hundred percent sure how to broach the subject. "So you knew Bunny beforehand," she told him, not asking. She was relatively certain what Lennie had said was true.

"It depends on what you mean by 'knew him'. More like I knew _of _him." They had played cards a few times, that didn't mean they were best friends. Ed had avoided him as best he could. _Lennie, you're gonna get it..._

"I beat up people I know of all the time, too," Cha-Cha countered. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't just tell the truth now. He knew she knew. If he could tell Lennie all this...why not her? "You owed him."

Ed looked at her, trying to keep a neutral expression present. Wasn't really working out for him though. "I did not," he said. Hadn't she paid attention to his apartment at all? "Look around, Cha-Cha, does this look like an apartment of someone recently out of debt?" How many times had she grabbed his watch to check the time? It wasn't cheap. The furniture was above average. The rooms were all decorated nicely.

"Well no, you didn't pay him. That was the point of beating him up, so he wouldn't talk. I'm not talking about last night Ed, this was like two years ago," Cha-Cha watched him. He knew she was right. How could he deny it? Exhaling deeply, she brought her knees up to her chest. "You told Lennie all that, and not me?"

"You don't know what you're talking about." She had it completely wrong. But he couldn't tell her that. And it killed. "Well if it makes you feel better, I _didn't _tell Lennie any of that." That was the story they'd all come up with? Jack knew he had more than enough money to stay above Bunny. He played recklessly for the rush, and occasionally lost big, but he would never let a character like Bunny have any control over him.

Cha-Cha almost laughed. Oh, she didn't? Well, then, apparently nobody did. Apparently, he wasn't letting anybody in. "Oh yeah. Loads. If I don't know what I'm talking about, why don't you set me straight?" she got up, suddenly feeling restless. She hadn't wanted to fight with him. But she couldn't understand why he was being so tight lipped about the truth. He had to know he could trust her, right? Fine, suppose five months was too early to trust. What about nine years? If Lennie had the wrong information too, what was the truth?

If only he could set her straight. But if she and Lennie were talking... He had certain things to protect. Responsibilities. "Well if you aren't going to believe me..." Why bother? Yes, he was going to make him staying silent her fault.

Cha-Cha stared at Ed incredulously. "You haven't given me anything to believe," she said slowly, growing angrier at his blame. No. This wasn't her fault, none of this was her fault. She refused to believe the answer was as simple as Ed put it. "You haven't given anybody anything. Do you want to go to jail?!" she remembered what Lennie had said to her. Ed wasn't cooperating. In every movie she'd ever seen, the guy who couldn't cooperate was the guy who bought the farm.

"Of course not," he said angrily, pushing up to sit against the headboard. He'd put too many men in there. He'd be outnumbered terribly. "Everything will be fine," Ed said firmly. "I'm not going anywhere. Can't that promise be enough?"

Cha-Cha turned her back to him. Ed just didn't get it, did he? He wasn't going to be let off the hook with a "trust me, i'm innocent". Not with her, not with the jury. "Ed, everybody thinks you're hiding something. Everybody knows it," she pleaded. She didn't care if she was overstepping boundaries now, if she was saying too much. In her opinion, he needed to hear it. If he wasn't telling anybody the truth, someone had to at least tell him it.

The strong emotions she'd been feeling all day were finally bubbling up in her. While no tears had fallen yet, she knew her voice was quivering. "But fine, Ed. Whatever. If you can't trust me, why should I trust you, right?"

Ed's voice softened. "Cha-Cha...I trust you more than anyone." But, if she was talking to Lennie... Not to mention he wasn't sure of her own reaction. He _was _hiding something. And he _knew _it was obvious. But he didn't know how to tell her, or...if it was even the right thing to tell her.

He pulled off the covers and went to her. "Please, just let me handle this my way." He tentatively placed a hand on her arm.

That did it. Cha-Cha could burst into tears at the stupidest of things, and be fine in an instant. On real things, it took forever for her to start and it was harder to stop. Her back was still turned to him, and she quickly reached up to wipe a tear before it got out of her eye. If he caught it...she hoped he didn't catch that. He hadn't seen her cry before and she just didn't want to yet.

"Ed...you have to tell the truth. You owing Bunny a debt, you beating him up, killing him for that...that's what I got from Lennie and I'm gonna guess that's what they believe at the precinct. If that's not true...you gotta tell him what is," she was trying not to blubber (Miss Flawless did not blubber), but she knew she was sounding choked up. She didn't reject the hand on her arm, but hugged her arms around herself.

"If they do their job right they'll find out it's not true." But hopefully be just sloppy enough to avoid the real reason. Ed placed his other hand on her other arm, giving her a gentle squeeze. His chin rested on her shoulder and he pretended not to notice the water gathering in her eyes. "I'm not a criminal Cha-Cha," he promised. "I just...have something I need to protect."

Cha-Cha seemed to deflate a bit in his arms, becoming a bit less tense. Unfortunately, this freed another tear to fall, and she caught it midway down her cheek. "I want you to be okay," she admitted finally, her eyes concentrating on the floor. This wasn't how she'd wanted to spend the day. No, this was all wrong, and she was ready for it to be over now. She already felt like she'd come close to losing him, now the thought of him going to jail? Unacceptable. Absolutely not.

"I'm going to be fine," he promised again. He knew the odds were against him, but... Good guys were supposed to win right? He considered himself reasonably good. He definitely was no Bunny. That guy had been guilty of too many things to even consider being compared to Ed.

Cha-Cha wanted to ask more. She still wasn't convinced of what he was saying, and she wasn't even certain he was. But at the moment, she just wanted some reassurance. "You'll tell them, right?" she asked, and that would be the end of it. She didn't particularly want to carry this one for hours on end. Not that she wanted to drop it, really, either, but she was going for the simplest answer at the moment.

Ed thought she had begun to grasp that he wasn't. He had a secret that he would protect. With his freedom, if it came to that. But it shouldn't, so she needn't worry.

It actually might be better if they believed the lie a little longer. They'd stop looking for any more answers. Give him enough time to come up with something believable. He didn't want to lie to Cha-Cha and say he'd tell them everything, because he wasn't going to. But he also didn't want her to keep her distance and hold a grudge. He was torn. "I can't."

Cha-Cha sighed pitifully, really losing her patience. Whatever small amount she had. "Not even me then? If I didn't say a word to Lennie or anybody else?" if he had nothing to hide, why couldn't he tell her? He knew her, she wouldn't go telling everybody. "I don't get it. Why are you keeping it from me?" Why, not what. Surely he could answer that much, right?

As cliche as an answer as it was... "I don't know if you would understand." He paused a moment. "Well, I think you might. But I can't say I think you'd agree." He was talking almost in circles, and not really helping his case at all. "Please, I know you don't think you have much reason to trust me at the moment, but...try. It's all I can tell you."

She was trying, alright. He couldn't say she wasn't trying to trust him. But he was going out of his way to make that as hard as possible. "If I don't agree, why are you doing it?" she was almost smiling. Just barely, but it was better than tears.

He let go and turned her around. One hand moved to her face, thumb gently brushing against her cheek. "When this is all over…I'll explain everything. But right now I can't."

She really wished he wouldn't do that sometimes. It was hard to be mad at him when he made her love him so much. Yes, it was all his fault. The blame was totally his. As usual. "You'll tell me later and I will hold you to that," she agreed finally, watching his eyes. She was tired of being upset and didn't want to pursue it further right at the moment. Later on though, yes.

"I promise," he nodded. And he meant it. But if she didn't react well to it, at least it'd be over and done with. She'd probably try to stop him, or ask him to rethink what he was telling the police, and he couldn't let that happen.

Cha-Cha dropped her head, not looking at him. Now she was the tired one; both emotionally and physically exhausted. "Did I wake you up?" she mumbled. Even if she hadn't, she'd probably need to lie down soon. Though it'd be nice to pick up where they left off. At least try.

"Not really, I was in and out. I could use a little more though." Ed moved to the bed, and despite the fact it was the normal dinner time, got in. If she followed, he hoped she'd allow him to hold her.

Cha-Cha nodded and followed him, climbing onto her side of the mattress. It had been a long day. It wouldn't surprise her if she was out till the morning. She hadn't eaten since lunch and hadn't brushed her teeth or anything, but it was hard for her to care.

She closed her eyes, shifting close to him. He made it so hard to stay mad, it really wasn't fair.

He was relieved, and pulled her to him carefully. He hated lying as much as she hated being lied to. His mood also was greatly influenced by hers. Ed's first and foremost goal was to keep his girl happy, and in doing so keep a pleasant vibe in their home. Lately that hadn't been working so well. Drifting off to sleep, he couldn't help but marvel at how amazing Cha-Cha was for putting up with him.

* * *

_A/N: Cha-Cha was played by Operatic. Send her love!_


	13. Behind Your Back

A/N: **SPOILERS. **Jesse L. Martin/Ed Green's last episode. Our version of events.

* * *

Behind Your Back

Cha-Cha was in shock. Her apartment was empty. Ed's closet was over filling. She was done.

After lugging everything upstairs once and for all, not to mention adjusting all three crowns, it was finished. She had nothing left to bring up, and now she only had to get rid of her apartment...eventually. Things had been a little hectic lately, and Ed hadn't gotten to talk to the landlord yet.

Cha-Cha had wanted to move in quick, just in case. Get this out of the way in case a trial squashed their plans. Honestly, Cha-Cha was too exhausted to dwell on that. She sprawled out on the couch, admiring the crown she'd arranged on his mantlepiece. Sort of an eyesore to the common human being, but is he wanted to live with her...

Ed had noticed her hurry to move in after he'd been charged with murder. He didn't mind the work, he had nothing else to do. Hauling boxes gave him something to focus on.

At the moment he was lying on their bed in the other room, staring at the tv without really watching it. Over the last few days he'd run out of things to talk about with Cha-Cha. He wasn't avoiding her, but the awkward silences that had arisen. His predicament was the only thing on his mind when he wasn't distracted with moving or television, and he didn't want to bring it up. 'How was your day?' or 'What'd you do this afternoon?' was pointless, he already knew.

Usually, admiring her crowns was the equivalent of watching tv for Cha-Cha. Every so often a new thought would strike her to wipe a smudge off there, check her reflection here. At the moment, though, she couldn't make herself get interested. They'd moved in together so they could see each other every day, spend more time together. So far though it was pretty clear they were uncomfortable around each other. She was more lonely than she was downstairs.

"Do you want tea?" she called from the hall, having finally lugged herself up. She headed into the kitchen, answering the ringing phone while she waited for his answer.

"No thank you," Ed replied politely, not moving from his spot.

The voice on phone hesitated a moment. "This is Lennie Briscoe... is Ed around?" He'd forgotten to say hello, and this was also his attempt at asking for her, as she'd see in a moment.

If anything would get Ed up, it would be talking to Lennie, right? Hopefully. "Yeah, he's...somewhere," she hesitated to say bedroom. He'd been in there for awhile; there was no telling where he'd ended up now. "I'll try to get him but...no promises he'll come," she added.

"Well wait," Lennie said quickly. "I actually wanted to talk to you." She had been a little upset last time he had seen her, but otherwise a nice, rational person. A nice, rational person who lived with his partner and possibly had information he needed... When Lennie had attempted to get answers out of Ed the last time he called his partner had just waved the questions away. "Can he hear you?"

Ed was vaguely interested in who was on the phone. "Who called?" he asked, having to slightly shout since she'd walked further away.

Cha-Cha rose her eyebrows, not answering Ed's question. "What for? He shouldn't be able to," she began to speak in a more hushed voice, becoming more concious of his presence in the other room. If Lennie had the truth, she couldn't let on she was finding out. Not yet. Ed would pretty much defnitely try to intervene.

"Some new details have surfaced," he said. "I was wondering if he happened to tell you anything new that might explain them." Lennie thought back to his first encounter with Cha-Cha. "You know, since you overheard he and I last month…This might take awhile...If he got curious enough he could probably hear you too." As awkward as it would be to ask, he'd feel better if they spoke face to face with no chance of Ed overhearing and snatching Lennie's only inside information source. Although they'd learned he wasn't exactly confessing to her either. "Could I talk to you somewhere else?" It was the closest thing to 'meet with you' as he would get right now.

Cha-Cha looked towards his bedroom quickly. Leave? Well...it wasn't like too much was happening...she could try to drag herself away. "Sure. Where are you? I don't think I'll be missed too much," she added, the discontent evident in her voice. He probably wouldn't look up from the tv. Stopping the kettle, she waited for an answer and prayed Ed wouldn't ask her who it was.

Ed called, not entirely interested but waiting for an answer anyway. Maybe she hadn't heard him the first time?

Lennie was outside a cafe a few blocks away. "I'm outside _Dana's_, you know it?" He and Ed stopped in there regularly, he might have taken her there. He was confident his partner wouldn't drop by tonight, it sounded like he was content sitting at home alone.

"I think so. I'll find it, anyway," Cha-Cha nodded her head even though he couldn't see it. Sighing as Ed called her again, she figured it would be best to get there soon. "I'll be there...in ten minutes-ish? Not sure what information I can give you, but you hve to tell me everything. Somebody has to," she added in a mumble. Covering the receiver for a second she called back, "Just a second, I'm on the phone!

Ed shrugged, assuming it was one of her girls. She had to have given them the number by now, right?

Lennie sighed. "Ed's dying to spill to you, to me, to Lieu... I can tell. I think something might have him scared... Hell, if I was facing a murder charge... But I would be telling everybody everything they wanna know, not clammin' up." He checked his watch. "Well, ten sounds good." He couldn't think of anything else to say. "Bye." With that, the old cop hung up.

"I'll see you," Cha-Cha hung up the phone. She paused, thinking. _Hey Ed, I'm gonna go find out what you've been keeping from me!_ Yeah, no.

"I'm gonna go out for a second. We're out of milk," she called, finding her jacket. He could believe that or not.

"Do you want me to come with you?" He'd been lying there for hours, he could use a little walking. And he hadn't seen her for just as long. Ed didn't want to be distant, he just worried she'd start again with the questions if they were silent together too long. Being outside would give them something to chat about, right?

Cha-Cha hesitated. "That's fine, I'll only be...couple minutes. I'll get some groceries while I'm out," she added. Dammit, now she'd have to come home with groceries. Grabbing her purse, she was out the door before he could object. "Be back in a few!" she headed out the door and down to the street.

Then again, he was just fine where he was channel surfing.

Lennie leaned against the building. He sighed. Dinner with a drag queen. Never thought he'd live to see the day... Well, it wouldn't be dinner exactly, he would not ask for more than a coffee. No, even better, they'd walk around and talk and not go in anywhere. Except maybe stop by a hot dog cart...

It wasn't hard to spot Cha-Cha from down the street. She waved, and forgot the same rules with Ed would generally apply to Lennie too. Well...she probably wouldn't be kissing Lennie any time soon. "I have to get groceries afterwards or he'll suspect," she told him with a barely concealed grin.

Hey, if anyone asked, he was interviewing a witness or something. Investigating. That was Lennie's excuse for the evening. "Clever," he said with almost a chuckle. "Mention shopping and Ed's out." Well, if that was the case... He started their walk, heading for Mr. Pim's Grocery.

"Really?" Cha-Cha asked with a grin, wrinkling her nose slightly. Dammit...it was good to know in advance, but also sort of disappointing. Oh well. She walked along with him, keeping her distance even more than she would with a regular male non-lover. "Speaking of Ed...?"

"Right," Lennie nodded. "Well, has he told you anything about his first day in trial? I need to know where you're at information wise." He didn't want to jump ahead and confuse, or repeat what she already knew. Grocery shopping for two only took so long.

"He hasn't told me anything," Cha-Cha grumbled. So Lennie did know more than her. Well, that was comforting. That her lover would tell his partner more than her...well, they'd known each other longer. Ed had promised no more secrets. No hard feelings or anything... "He said...he had something he needed to protect. I don't even know what that means."

Lennie could tell what she was thinking. "He hasn't told me anything either," he said, trying to make her feel a bit better. "All this is stuff I had to find out on my own." Pondering what she said, he repeated quietly, "Something to protect... That actually might make sense." A piece of the puzzle finally fitting?

"What did you find out?" Cha-Cha asked eagerly. Anything he could tell her, she wanted to know. It couldn't be that bad, right? She could handle it. And it was better than being left in the dark. It wasn't fair what Ed wasn't telling her, and if she couldn't hear it from him, she'd go to the next available source. Funny, she'd never thought she'd find herself going to Lennie instead of Ed.

"One of the witnesses said something that struck me as odd. The bartender said Ed came in looking for Bunny, and before he left asked if anyone else was looking for him too. Why would he ask that?" He let the question hang a moment before continuing with, "Assume for a moment Ed really did shoot at a mans back." It didn't cross Lennie's mind at all that that detail may never have reached her.

Cha-Cha wasn't following. "Ed wouldn't do that. We both know that," she interjected, shaking her head. "Bunny shot first, Ed promised me that. It was self defence," she refused to believe anything else. Her Ed wasn't a bad man. He wouldn't shoot at someone's back, someone who was defenceless. Not unless he had one pretty damn terrific reason.

"Right, right, defense, but whose was it really?" Lennie asked. "The drunk witness Rueben was standing outside across the street. He said Ed came out and shot Bunny, a 'damn execution' was how he put it. Ed says Bunny shot first, Rueben says Ed. Crime Scene Unit never found Bunny's bullet going in Ed's direction. From where Rueben was standing though," Lennie said, slowing to a stop to fully concentrate on getting the story right for her. "He couldn't see around the corner. Lieu and I are thinking there was a third person involved, and that's who Bunny was really firing at." Did she see where he was going with this?

Cha-Cha stopped too, her bewilderment making it's way onto her features. "A third. Who...?" Just a random person? That would be understandable. He was a cop, he had to do something if that was a case. Better the murderer dead than the victim, or something like that. If Lennie were in Bunny's line of fire, that was what everyone would expect him to do. But it wasn't Lennie, and she couldn't think of anyone it could be. "Do you know?"

"Not a clue." It had only begun to be investigated that day. Lennie wouldn't know anything more about where the bullet was until tomorrow, and most of this was hunches at best. "But if Ed said he's protecting something...that something could be a someone."

Someone? Why would Ed want to protect someone? Even more, why would Ed want to protect someone without being able to tell her? She was probably the most scandalous person he knew. Why would anyone else be a big deal? Why couldn't he come out and say it? "Unless he'd got some other boyfriend hidden away somewhere, I can't think of anyone for any reason."

It took her a moment to think that one over. When it occured to her that another boyfriend was possible, she paled a bit under all that makeup. "You _don't_ think..."

"Hey, we're not going down that road just yet. It could be a friend, it could be a random stranger. But _if_ there was a third person, his lawyer's going to need to know. This wouldn't be self defense. It'd be protecting a life, yes, but not his own. I'm pretty sure that's going to make a difference."

Cha-Cha nodded, trying to think rationally. Or as rationally as was possible for her. "But he's not telling anyone," she sighed, dropping her head. Not even her. Maybe she could talk to him, though? If he knew she knew. She waved to Mr. Pim after opening the door, lifting up one of the plastic baskets.

"He will have to when we track this person down. Once we find this someone things will be a whole lot smoother." Threaten a few felony charges and the most tight lipped people start singing.

Lennie felt guilty for making her question Ed like that, but...he was acting strange. Still, though, he added, "And I'm sure it's not...you know... Ed wouldn't..." Boyfriend still didn't belong in the same sentence for him.

Cha-Cha nodded, moving towards the freezer to grab a carton of milk. She doubted they were actually out of milk. She doubted her detective boyfriend would pick up on that. "You'll let me know, right? Call me when you find out," she instructed with wide eyes. If it was someone that would affect her...she needed to know.

"It had better not be," was all Cha-Cha had to say. She threw a few random things into the basket. Cheerios, sugarless jello, graham crackers. Oh yeah, life at the Green residence was pretty wild.

"I'll let you know," he agreed. "And you need to call me if he says anything else that might help. Anything he let's slip." Lennie couldn't believe this scenario was actually happening. As an after thought he added, "And no going home to yell at him. He'll never trust us again if he knows we're ...whatever it is we're doing behind his back." Talking? Conspiring? Accusing?

"I don't yell at him! I...talk sternly sometimes. And he deserves it," Cha-Cha mumbled, throwing in some bannanas to create the illusion she was a somewhat healthy eater. She didn't mention how she had the right not to trust him again, even though it was true. Well, it wasn't that she didn't trust him.She just...couldn't understand the need for lies.

With the conversation dwindling to an end, Lennie led the way to the register. He searched three pockets before finding his wallet and grabbed at the appropriate bills. "Since I dragged you out here," he explained, handing the money over to the cashier. He sighed, getting back to what they'd been saying. "Alright, no stern talking. Involving this, anyway. He's probably beating himself up over this enough as it is. If he knows you and I are talking, he'll be even quieter."

Cha-Cha grinned, thanking Lennie. She knew she liked him for a reason. Pass up free food? Uh, no. "I won't, I won't, don't worry. I'll be lucky if there's any talking," she sighed, clearly put off by this. It wasn't usual for her to be so...ignored by a man.

Lennie didn't know what to say. Relationships like these were not common ground. Ed seeing anybody was new. News to him, anyway. How many had Ed kept from him? That was something to think about later. Out of habit for a woman he almost held the door open.

"So are you working right now, or are you off?" Cha-Cha asked to make conversation. It was harder to do when the topic wasn't Ed. Even though she'd picked up a little detective...stuff from Ed, they were still two very different people. With very different views of Ed. Well, not his character exactly, but Lennie had always seen him as straight where Cha-Cha had never been fooled.

"Working," he answered. "This counts as investigating, as far as I'm concerned." Talking to her for strictly business reasons. Yes that was it. "Getting me further than most others I've talked to. Especially those Internal Affairs guys..." Nothing he found cleared Ed in their opinion. They turned everything into a big conspiracy theory and refused to entertain the idea that Ed Green was innocent. Well, that he'd had a good reason for shooting Bunny. A legal one.

"Internal Affairs?" Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow. Ed had mentioned it, but she had no idea what it was. Okay, she was up on _some_ detective stuff. "What do they do? Ed must've forgotten to tell me.

"They're the ones who get called in when someone thinks a cop is up to something. But you'd think they'd be out to prove it wrong… These guys seem determined to make Ed out to be a bad cop. Whatever I give them to clear Ed just ends up getting twisted. Like this third person idea. They'll probably say it was an accomplice." He shook his head. It just wasn't right.

Cha-Cha's heart sank a bit. Yes, that would definitely make things harder. "Why are they so intent on that? I mean...Lieu knows Ed's good, right? If you have good proof, why are they shooting it down? No pun," she added quickly. Seriously though, it didn't make sense. Not when they'd known him for nine years, with a pretty good record if she was correct.

"He lied to you, he lied to me, he lied to Lieu, we can't figure out why he went to New Jersey, both witnesses say he went there specifically looking for Bunny... It looks bad, but they should know things aren't what they seem. They seem to have gotten stuck on the idea of the publicity that comes with exposing dirty cops. Wrong motivation. Should be looking out for one another." Innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around.

Cha-Cha thought about that for a minute, biting her lip. "Why Ed though?" she asked finally. There had to be a ton of 'bad' cops in New York City, right? Why attack the one with a good reason? Despite the fact he lied, despite what he wasn't telling her, she still believed that much. She couldn't buy that he would intentionally hurt an innocent person.

"They've got nothing else to do? They're around so many who actually deserve it they think everyone suspected is guilty? I don't know." He sighed again, frustrated. "But I'm meeting with them tomorrow, hopefully something good comes out of it." They'd walked the few short blocks back to her building.

"It'd better. What about Ed, does he get to talk to them too? I mean...it's his case. And he knows how this all works...he gets to say his piece too, right?" Cha-Cha made sure. If all this was going on and Ed didn't get to defend himself, that wsn't fair. He'd go to court and all, but if he could talk to these guys and try to level with them...

As they approached the apartment, she decided she's try to talk to Ed. Even if he was in a foul mood, she did miss how things were before all this. Besides, there was always a chance he could let information slip. It was possible.

"He had a chance last week. All he said was that he knew Bunny might be there because he had been there before. Which, actually, helped and hurt at the same time. He being gay and all, that might be another reason they're going so hard. Not the best thing to be when you're a cop. No offense." That was the first time Lennie had admitted his partner was gay aloud. It sounded strange to him.

Cha-Cha sighed, nodding her head. None taken. "They're not the first ones, no worries. Why do you think we couldn't tell anybody about us?" she pointed out. Not to try and make him feel bad; Lennie had been way more supportive than she'd expected. Well...he got more supportive anyway. It was a shock, she knew. "Still though...isn't that discrimination or something? I thought people like you guys couldn't have bias. I mean, never know when you're gonna have a murdered tranny on your hands," she pointed out, biting her lip. This didn't make her feel too awfully safe.

"Yeah, well...supposed to be doesn't mean we are. They are," he corrected. Hey, he was at least working on it. And the last part, he said sincerely, "You don't wanna know what happens."

Lennie wanted to end this now uncomfortable conversation. "Well, groceries wouldn't take too much longer, better head back up." He thought a moment. "Do you want to come down tomorrow night? After I've done the IA thing?"

Cha-Cha nodded her head. No, she didn't think she did. "Same place? I don't know if I'll know anything new, but...I can try. You'll have stuff, right?" she added. She didn't know how fast information could get to Lennie, but once it did, she wanted it. Until then...she'd act with Ed as though nothing had happened.

"I should," Lennie nodded. "I can at least tell you what they think of the third person theory. What he's going to be up against." Lennie hoped Ed wouldn't catch on. He'd already done enough damage accidentally. What would his partner think if he knew Lennie was trading information with his girlfriend behind his back? In their defense, they were doing it with his life in mind. Ed wasn't doing much to save it.

Cha-Cha nodded, opening the door to the apartment. "Dana's again? At...I don't know, when can you get away?" she couldn't help but think how sneaky this felt. It almost felt like cheating, even though it was the farthest thing from it. Cha-Cha intended to keeop Ed for as long as possible, and she was going this to ensure that happened.

He had no idea when he'd be done. "Nine?" he estimated? No telling what time the agents would be around, and how long they'd be willing to talk. Not to mention Lennie had some snooping of his own to do as well. He wanted CSU searching every section of the street opposite the direction of Ed. There had to be a bullet there somewhere.

"I'll see you there then," Cha-Cha smiled, waving before heading into the building. Okay. Act like nothing happened. She could do that. Hopefully.

Tossing her keys down, she put the milk in the fridge before moving into the bedroom. Even if he just sat there and watched tv all day, she just felt like seeing him. Not just because she wanted information. They'd been avoiding each other for way too long.

Ed turned the volume down as she walked in. "Hey," he smiled lightly. In his hand was a cup of coffee, a bit of milk used as an impromptu cream. They'd had more than half left. Holding an arm open for her to come to him he said, "I think I know why you left." Obviously it wasn't for milk. After a beat he continued. "If I'm being an anti-social asshole just slap me out of it. You don't have to make up an excuse to get away from me. I'm sorry." No sarcasm in his voice, he sincerely meant it.

She was about to confess, when he popped out with a totally different answer. Well, then. They'd go with that. Gladly moving into his arm, she kissed his jaw gently. "You're not so bad for an old guy," she teased, taking the remote from him. Shutting the tv off, she got closer. "Come on though? I'm more interesting than...whatever it was you were watching."

Ed smiled and wrapped his other arm around her, shifting over a little on the bed so they could both have room. They hadn't had a full conversation in days. He'd hardly touched her as well. A hand traveled to her neck as his mouth found hers. Had he really gone hours...a day or two without this? Amazing he was still functioning. Oh wait, he wasn't. Maybe that was why.

He hadn't realized how desperate for her he was until now.

Cha-Cha returned the kiss, resting a hand on his hip gently. This was better. She'd missed this...unbelievably. Even after all that had happened, she still wanted this more than anything. "I was starting to get all self concious," she added with a grin, tapping her fingers up his side.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. Both hands traveled over her in different directions, eventually meeting up with each other at her waist, slipping under her shirt. His eyes were regaining their sparkle as he held her. "Can I make it up to you?" Her leaving may have been misunderstood, but it seemed to be working out for both of them.

Cha-Cha grinned, her hand moving up to touch his cheek. There was her Ed. Dull, lifeless couch potato, that wasn't him. Nodding her head, she leaned up to kiss him deeply. "I think it would be best," she nodded, trying to remain serious despite her growing smirk.

Ed grinned widely. The first in almost two weeks. He kissed her lips and wherever else he felt like going. He successfully removed her shirt in under a minute, and somehow he'd rolled and moved them enough for him to be on top of her. Already he was aching for more, when normally he was fine with taking his time. It'd definitely been too long.

* * *

_A/N: Cha-Cha was played by Operatic._


	14. The Truth Part 1

_Author Note: Check my profile for an audio note about the _**audio version**_ of Waiting for Somebody! Take the story with you, wherever you go! The first chapter is up and ready. If it goes well the rest will be posted as well._

* * *

Cha-Cha was expecting Lennie's phone call, but trying not to make that expectancy obvious. She wanted to be near the phone, but wanted to be near Ed, too. After the night before, it just made her want to be close to him. Like nothing was going on. They were on the couch, her cheek against his chest as he sat in his corner. As comfortable as she was, on ear was open, waiting for that phone call.

Ed was playing with her fingers. It was surprisingly interesting and very fun. He had one of her hands in both of his, and he lazily laced and unlaced their fingers. Observed her palm lines. Noticed her polish was chipped. Couldn't help picking at it.

Then again, if Lennie forgot to call her, maybe that would be okay too. Rubbing her cheek against his shirt gently, a smile came over her lips. "You gonna repaint those?" she asked softly, shifting up to get closer to him. As close as possible.

"No," he answered honestly with laugh. It was their own fault for being so tempting. He backed off anyway, now intent on watching her skin change color as he pressed it differently. There was a fine line between bored and too relaxed. The phone rang in the kitchen but he ignored it.

Cha-Cha moaned softly, a deep sigh following. She really hated to do this. "Baby, I gotta get up," she mumbled, kissing him chastely as she started lugging herself up. _Would waiting a couple more minutes have killed you, Lennie? _she thought with a grimace.

"Expecting a call?" he asked. She'd missed a dozen before due to this same scenario. What was up with tonight's? He watched her go curiously. One thing she and Lennie hadn't planned on. He was much more alert tonight.

"No," Cha-Cha wiped some sleep from her eyes, going to the kitchen quickly. "Hello?" she got to it just in time. Darting her eyes toward Ed, she turned her back in an attempt to speak quietly. Why couldn't he turn the tv on or something? She could tell he was watching her and she didn't like it.

It was easy to tell their voices apart. "It's Lennie," he said. "Ed nearby?" As far as he knew they still weren't talking. Hopefully he'd be where he was last time.

"Who's calling this late?" Ed wondered aloud. It was only about nine, but that wasn't the normal time for a chat.

"Um, yes," Cha-Cha replied with wide eyes. She still faced away from Ed, trying not to speak too loudly. _Think quickly, Cha-Cha_. "Yeah, this isn't a good time. What's up?" As much as she wanted to keep Ed out, it was hard to talk with him nearly breathing over her shoulder.

"Well, either think of reason to get outta there, or I'll try tomorrow." Lennie was actually counting on a discussion tonight. "We found the third person. Things just got a bit stickier. Without telling me what, did he say anything today about it? Or anything strange?" Because this case was definitely getting strange.

"What, who?" Cha-Cha asked, forgetting her closeness to Ed. Narrowing her eyes, she did what she could to cover it up. "I can get there now if you want. I was wondering where I'd put it." Maybe she left her purse at a friend's house. Or a glove or a hat. That was the story they were going with, anyway.

Lennie was satisfied. "Good. We've got a lot to go over..." Maybe he was subconsciously replacing his partner with her. He needed someone to talk this out to before he went to Van Buren. None of his detective buddies were appropriate to go to at the moment, and ther really was no one else as in the loop as she was at this point. "Things may have just taken a turn for the worse...I'll save that for later though. How long 'til you get down here?"

Cha-Cha frowned at the sound of that. How could things get worse? Thinking about it, she glanced toward Ed. If he was hiding something from her...well, she knew he was. But how big could it honestly be? "I don't know, maybe...twenty minutes? Hopefully," she replied, turning her back again and averting her eyes from Ed. As if that would somehow make her invisible.

_Twenty minutes for what? _Ed wondered. She was glancing at him occasionally, but then he hadn't taken his eyes off her either.

"I'll give you thirty, then I gotta get to the precinct. Unlike Eddie there, I've been pulling all nighters trying to figure out what's going on." What was she doing? Well, actually, maybe he didn't want to know. She sounded much more chipper than yesterday. She and Ed must be getting along better.

"So have I, but no luck. Well, not all nighters. Well, then again..." Cha-Cha trailed off. Yeah, that was what Lennie wanted to hear. "Twenty minutes, okay. Same place?"

Lennie cringed. "Jesus..." he mumbled awkwardly. He really didn't need to know that. "Yeah same place." He hung up. Yes, he had figured they'd be sleeping together, being in the same apartment and all. But did she have to actually tell him?

Cha-Cha felt bad, yet somehow couldn't hide a grin. As much as she didn't want to annoy Lennie, she couldn't help but love making people feel awkward. What could she say? People were funny when they got flustered. Hanging up, she turned to Ed. "I've gotta head out for a couple minutes. I forgot my purse at Rusty's" she informed him, praying he wouldn't look at the closet door where the bag hung on the knob.

"Couldn't it wait til the morning?" he asked. It's not like she had a driver's license she needed back. And he wanted to cuddle. Ed looked at her curiously, waiting for an answer. Moods like this were rare for him lately. One would think she'd jump at the chance.

Why did he have to be so tempting? Lennie's words kept her somewhat grounded, but she wanted to snuggle with him just as much. 'A turn for the worse', though. Would she want to cuddle with him later on? "It won't take me long, baby," she promised, kissing his cheek and going to slip her shoes on.

Ed frowned. He didn't want to make her stay, that'd only get her angry. Plus he doubted he could actually make her do anything. She was stubborn. But he didn't want her to leave either. Which would win? "...Well, alright..." Yes. He was a pushover when it came to her. He adjusted his position and grabbed at the television remote. He was a professional at zoning out now, it'd be easy to get lost in some program while she was gone. It was up to her to knock him out of it when she was back.

It took effort for her not to take her purse. Kissing him quickly, she promised, "Half an hour...forty-five minutes. Absolute tops." Silently, she prayed she'd still want to kiss him by the time she was done with Lennie. She was so tired of being upset with him. Heading out the door and down to the street, she didn't notice she was holding her breath.

Lennie was waiting outside _Dana'_s again. He hated having bad news. He wondered if she would have anything good. Except for the fact that apparently she and Ed were on good terms again. He shivered. The man really hadn't needed to hear that.

Cha-Cha headed down the street, waving as she spotted the older detective. Okay. Whatever he told her...she could handle it. She loved Ed, and that was enough. That really wasn't enough. But she was clinging to anything at the moment. The last thing she wanted was to be away from him. Nothing Lennie said could make that happen...right?

Lennie responded with an awkward half wave. "Where are we going tonight?" he asked. What story did she come up with tonight? He only partially wondered, but he didn't want to jump right into what they were there for.

"I left my purse at a friend's. We've got half an hour-ish," Cha-Cha replied. Enough chit chat would be good. He'd gotten her nervous, now he couldn't leave her hanging. "Coffee?" she suggested, motioning to the restaurant.

Lennie wasn't thrilled with the idea, but he agreed and went in. Sitting with her wouldn't kill him. Soon he had a drink in his hand, and like always, coffee made him less irritable. There was something in it that had that effect on him. "So," he began, getting on with it. "The Jersey thing is still being investigated, but we did find something."

"What?" Cha-Cha asked, obviously eager. Despite everything, she had gotten no new information from Ed. Lennie was her only connection. "Who was the third person?" she added. It was driving her crazy, and he wasn't holding the information back any longer.

Lennie knew she wanted a name, but he thought he should explain what they'd found before that first. "We knew he went to Jersey, and 90 minutes later he was back in New York shooting Bunny. He stopped to get gas, and stupidly used his credit card." Lennie thought Ed would have known that'd be traceable. Apparently he wasn't thinking everything through. "We got the history of the pay phone there and checked it with his cell phone records."

"And?" Cha-Cha asked, taking her first, and likely last sip of coffee. She didn't see why any of that was important. Lennie had promised bad news, and she wanted to get it over with. The sooner they could get it out of the way, the sooner she could evaluate it. She could handle it, she could handle it, she could handle it. She really hoped she could handle it.

"One matched a number he called that night around ten. Adam Lannen. Sound familiar at all?" he wondered. Maybe it was a friend? "Anyway, we found him, and he first wouldn't admit Ed had called. Then said they talked for maybe a minute. Then slammed the door in our face after relieving the babysitter." Lennie paused to make sure he was going in the correct order.

"Apparently Ed called this guy a lot in his gambling days, used to be pretty close. Babysitter said Lannen called her, right after Ed called. He told the babysitter he needed to go out all of a sudden. Babysitter comes to the house, Lannen leaves, few minutes later Ed shows. She tells him Lannen went out, he says 'Oh crap' and the next thing we know, Ed's at the gambling club asking for Bunny, and if anyone else was looking for him."

Adam Lannen didn't ring a bell at all. Okay, then. She could handle that. She knew she could. "He's never mentioned an Adam Lannen. A friend I guess..." she thought it over. To be honest, she sometimes forgot Ed was gay. She wasn't the most manly of men, and Ed was just so...masculine. So straight. He looked like he could be married with kids. That Adam could be an ex didn't immediately click. "Is that all you have? Why's that a turn for the worse?"

"I'm getting there. Ed was afraid Lannen would go to the club. He goes outside, finds Bunny shooting at someone who's gotta be him, he shoots Bunny. It would make it justifiable if Ed was protecting him, but isn't it odd that Ed never mention he was there? And that this man never mentioned Ed saved his life?" Was she following? "Internal Affairs is saying for all we know they were accomplices."

Accomplices? "In what, shooting Bunny?" she asked slowly. Why would they want to shoot him in the first place? If the debt story was untrue. None of this was making sense. Ed was not...a murderer, that much was for certain. Why would he need help? And who was Adam Lannen, anyway? "You don't believe that though...right? Ed's innocent. I mean, if he killed anybody...it would be self defence. Or...in defence of some innocent person, Adam Lannen then," Lennie had to know he wouldn't. This was ridiculous.

"It's not me you have to convince, it's Internal Affairs and the lawyers. But we've got two options. Either Ed is a murderer, or he's protecting that man. But from what..." Lennie pondered his own question. "That Lannen used to be a gambler? He knew those people? ...It's gotta be something bigger. Worth going to prison for..." He had nothing. "They've indicted Lannen with accomplice to murder hoping it'll get Ed talking. Or scare this new kid into talking."

"He's not a murderer, though. And I can't see any reason he'd want to protect Lannen..." What was so important about some man? Ed hadn' said two words about him. Then again, though...he hadn't said two words about anything. Not to her. Cha-Cha wasn't sure what to think and what to suspect. She didn't want to jump on cheating, mostly because she didn't believe Ed would do that to her. She didn't want to believe that. But she'd be lying to say it wasn't a little fishy.

"I'll tell ya what they're thinking." _They_, not we. Lennie was determined to prove this was all a big misunderstanding. "Ed may have quit gambling but this, uh, _friend _here may not. Maybe Lannen owed him money. They hear Bunny's under suspicion. Ed doesn't want his addiction and past connection to Bunny, included beating him up, to be found out. One provokes a coked up Bunny to shoot, the other kills him. Story is self defense, but the motive would make this murder." Things seemed to be falling together. "I have to admit, if this were anyone else it would make sense." Even Ed's biggest fans were having trouble making excuses now.

"I don't believe that," Cha-Cha refused. Like Ed has said himself, why would Bunny ever be that important? Who would be that important, that he'd put his career on the line for them? That he'd put his freedom, his life at stake?

Well, Cha-Cha could imagine him doing that for someone, if she was being honest. He was an unbelievably good person. And...if he risked all that for her...she wouldn't want a situation to arise where he had to, of course. But if he did, that would be...epicly romantic. The thought of him doing it for someone other than her...risking his free life with her...

She didn't want to believe it, and wouldn't believe it. "Ed never mentioned Lannen to you, did he? I guess if they were dating he wouldn't have..."

"We just have to wait and see what Lannen does. Maybe he'll give us the story if Ed won't." Phone records showed they hadn't been in contact for years. Not obviously, anyway. But if Ed had kept a crucial fact like being gay hidden from him all these years, maybe he could keep a second guy from... A stupid thought. The IA guys were starting to get to him. Lennie knew Ed Green.

Cha-Cha nodded silently, not sure how to carry on the conversation. Ed wasn't a bad man. He wouldn't murder, he wouldn't cheat. That was what she believed, and what she really wanted to be true. But she couldn't stop that nagging voice in the back of her head, reminding her of all the things Ed was keeping from her. Something to protect. Their relationship? So she wouldn't know there was someone else? If Cha-Cha could cheat on someone herself, there was no reason why Ed wouldn't.

But Ed was probably a better person than her in alot of ways (the very fact she was admitting that outlined how much he meant to her). And they were happy together--why would he go out with her in public, hold her, kiss her in public, if she didn't mean alot to him? Why would he take off time? It didn't make sense.

A thought struck her. "Do you think I could talk to Lannen? I mean, if I found out who he was. Just thinking, cause police might scare him off..." plus, she sort of wanted to hear the story for herself.

Lennie frowned, unsure. "This isn't supposed to have been released to the public or anything... you aren't supposed to know anything, especially not a name." Although if they had some common ground...knowing Ed...maybe she could click? And then Lennie would be fired. Great. "I don't think so. When I talked to him he seemed anxious, but with a charge against him now he'll explain everything in no time. Ed might be strong enough for prison but this guy sure ain''t." He'd had a similar figure to Cha-Cha.

Cha-Cha nodded, sort of understanding. She wouldn't mention Lennie's name or anything, she could just say Ed mentioned him. But if she did something to mess the case up, that wouldn't be worth it. "Then you'll call me as soon as you find anything, right? Run to our house if you have to. Yell it across the city, I don't care, but please tell me," she pleaded, dead serious. It wasn't fair what Ed was keeping, and she intended to find out.

"Yeah." When this was all over, Lennie would hate to be Ed when she was allowed to confront him. He'd said it a million times, but, "There's gotta be a good reason for all this."

* * *

At home in their apartment, Ed stared blankly at the television. A frantic knocking on the door interrupted his zoning, and he stood and walked to the door, slightly puzzled. Did Cha-Cha forget her key?

After opening the door, he momentarily froze. This was not good.

* * *

"Of course there is," Cha-Cha nodded. There had to be. Sensing they were pretty much done, she began standing up. A very minor freak out occurred in her as she wondered where her purse was. She just wasn't used to walking around without it. "Thank you for the coffee," she nodded to him. "You off for tonight?"

"Nah, I've still got work to do. Getting my partner back is my top priority." Sleep could wait. He stood as well, saying goodbye when they reached the sidewalk.

* * *

Ed gripped the doorknob. Before him stood Adam Lannen. Dressed very differently than when Lennie had caught him earlier that day. Ed couldn't prevent him from walking in, he was too busy panicking. After glancing down the hall and seeing it vacant, he got himself relatively together and closed the door. Turning to the visitor he said, "You shouldn't be here."

* * *

Cha-Cha waved, heading down the street. She wasn't sure how to treat Ed once she got home. Her suspicions about him were higher than they were before talking to Lennie, but at the same time, she couldn't let on where she'd really been. If Ed figured out what they were doing, it would only be a step backward. As she stepped onto the elevator, she resolved not to treat him any differently. Keep his suspicions down, and hopefully resume their spot on the couch.

* * *

Lannen looked desperately at Ed. "They're talking about arresting me, Eddie. For killing Bunny. They know you called me, they know I went to the club."

Ed moved to him, grabbing his shoulders gently, trying to shake him out of his panic. Hopefully he'd do the same for him. Cha-Cha would be back any minute. "They're just trying to scare you."

"Well it's working!" he shouted.

"Shh!"

* * *

Cha-Cha headed down the hall to their door. Acting natural, acting happy, acting as though nothing had happened. It wasn't that hard, right? The fact was, it was doubtful too much new development was going to come about at quarter to ten. Better to relax, and enjoy a night of calm and love with Ed. They were getting rarer and rarer as the days went on. But she was trying not to think about that.

Oh, dammit. Her key was in the purse she was supposed to have gone to retrieve. Well, this would be hard to explain. Sighing, she was about to knock, when she heard a yell from inside. A male yell, but not an Ed yell.

There was someone in their apartment with Ed. Another man, though his voice was higher, panicked. Narrowing her eyes, she waited a moment before knocking, letting her fist drop to her side. The only person she could think of who might come over was Lennie, and it obviously wasn't him. Leaning against the door, she kept her ears open.

"Ed, I can not go to jail now! What about my baby? Do you know how long it took for them to let me adopt? And there's no one else around!"

"I know, I know," he insisted, rubbing his arms to calm him down. "And I'm not gonna let it happen, okay? I'm not gonna let it happen."

"Ed, you shouldn't be doing this." Lannen pulled away, crossing his arms.

"If it wasn't for me-"

"I'd be dead now," he said, cutting him off.

"No, you wouldn't be in trouble in the first place!" His voice rose accidentally.

Cha-Cha listened intently through the door. It seemed she got most of her knowledge these days that way. Was this Adam Lannen? She hadn't expected to face this the second she got back. Wait. What did Ed mean by that? Ed wouldn't put another person into danger, would he? His whole profession was sort of the opposite of that.

"I don't know about that," Lannen said, biting his nails, near tears. "I loved the action. It was crazy fun." He sat on the arm of the couch.

"No it wasn't sweetheart, it was just crazy." Ed sat beside him, looking at him and internally crumbling.

Lannen shook his head. "It's like a bad dream all coming back.. I thought I woke up," he said, laughing slightly and blinking his watery eyes. "And here it is all over again."

Ed put an arm around his shoulder. He needed him gone, but... "Listen to me. I'm gonna take care of everything, okay?" The younger man shook his head and began to protest, but Ed continued, voice fading into a low, comforting whisper. "Listen to me. I got it under control. Okay?" Lannen sniffed and nodded, wanting to believe he'd keep him safe. He made to lean into Ed but he stopped him. "You really need to go," he said, starting to remove the arm draped around him.

Cha-Cha wasn't sure she wanted to listen anymore. By the end she could barely hear what Ed was saying anyway, but it didn't matter anymore. She'd heard enough to get her heart racing and she wasn't sure how to feel. She wanted to be angry, but it was hard to feel over top of all that sad.

Sweetheart. It had taken more than a couple months for Cha-Cha to get so much as a 'dear'. He wasn't that kind of person with just anybody, and it pretty much put a fork in her suspicions. Whoever was in there, they were pretty close. He especially wouldn't have if the person was a man. Not unless they were dating, for a pretty long time, too. She'd pretty much figured out that the person inside was Lannen. Cha-Cha really hated to be right.

She was half convinced he was cheating on her. Half convinced she'd walk in on them half dressed. The thought was making her want to cry again, despite her efforts to blink the tears back. It made her want to run back outside. Maybe not come back. If it had to be this way, why couldn't she have...why couldn't it...why did it have to be this way? She'd been so good. For once in her life she was in love, total love without any second thoughts.

This was ridiculous. Moving away from the door, she ran a hand through her short curls. Ed didn't know she was outside the door, had no idea she'd overheard anything. He didn't know what she knew, thought the third person was a secret he was still keeping. As much as she knew she had to, there was no way Cha-Cha would be able to act casually. Act as nothing had happened. There was an awful tingly feeling in her lower stomach, her heart had sped up and her arms were shaking. When the door opened she would be there, having obviously heard the whole thing. She couldn't make herself move fast enough and settled for leaning against the wall.

"What? Why?" Lannen asked, wiping at his eyes.

"Because Cha-Cha will be here any second. She's already mad enough as it is, I can't explain you to her right now."

"Who?"

"My... Please, you really need to go. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" Ed stood, Lannen followed suit, and they headed for the door.

"Calling me is exactly what started this."

"I'll handle it, okay?" he asked, opening the door.

Oh...crap.

Cha-Cha was a deer in the headlights as she spotted the drag queen. Her brain didn't comprehend it at first. That was Adam Lannen? Then it dawned on her. Of course that was Adam Lannen. High voice, check. Slight frame like Lennie said, of course. Connection to the crime? Connection to Ed? Unfortunately.

He was beautiful, Cha-Cha had to admit. It killed her to say it, but if he were to enter the Flawless competition...well, he was a little manly for her tastes. A little rugged...in a drop dead gorgeous kind of way. She was trying to act calm, but she was so upset. She was visibly so unhappy, and she couldn't go to the one person she was dying to be with. No. He was busy with another _man_. A man, a man, a man.

It was a shame Ed's plan back-fired. Another time, another place, she could see the attraction. But the fact was, they were together in her apartment, where she lived, with her boyfriend. For the moment. A million and two different things were flying through her brain, from Ed's guilty face to Adam's regretfully tasteful (if, now, slightly runny) makeup to her own blood pounding in her ears. She was flush, tearing her eyes away from Ed and focusing on a spot just above his head. It was easier to talk that way.

"Sorry to interrupt," she finally got out. Her voice was shaking slightly with the emotion inside her. She would give anything in the world to run over to Ed and hug him, cry and sit with him and sleep and never ever think about Adam Lannen or gambling or gorgeous other drag queens ever again. But that obviously wasn't going to happen, both due to the men in front of her and her own pride. She was determined not to cry in front of Adam. Maybe Ed, later on, but that weakness didn't get shown in front of her competition. If she could stand calm in front of Stormy and her lot, she could at least try in front of this...person. The only difference was what was at stake. But Ed was a cheater and she could live without him, she could. She was probably going to have to.

Ed was paling. He didn't need this. He didn't need this. Cha-Cha was just starting to get comfortable around him again. They were getting back to normal. This couldn't be happening. Ed stepped in front of Lannen, fully aware he couldn't hide _her _now, but wanting to be between the two. Just in case. "You're not interrupting anything," he said. Nothing was going on, nothing could be disturbed. She'd gotten back fast for having to go to Rusty's. Wait a minute. "...where's the purse you left to get?"

Cha-Cha really hoped he wasn't asking her where she'd been. Not when he had the third person, the third damn wheel behind his back. "I don't have it. Who is that?" she asked quickly, still avoiding his eyes. She wasn't talking about anywhere she might have gone, anyone she might have seen. Not until she got the truth from his lips.

The million dollar question indeed. "This..." Ed paused. He had no idea where to start. Lannen was still sniffling, and a muffled, almost hyperventilating sound was coming from her direction. Great. She was going to suffocate and Cha-Cha was going to kill Ed. Was anyone going to live through this ordeal?

Feeling caught and trapped, he knew no lie could get him out of this. Maybe she would understand if he started from the beginning? Yeah. And maybe he should start running. "This is...a long story. Let's go in and sit down, okay?"

Cha-Cha was close to tears herself, absolutely determined not to show them. As soon as she was alone, whether with Ed or not, fine. But not in front of Adam. Nodding her head, she took his hand for no other reason than to make sure Adam saw. So he knew that no matter what he did, he couldn't make Cha-Cha leave Ed. A total lie, but that didn't matter at the moment. She was probably showing Ed double messages too, but maybe he deserved it.

Ed stopped after a few paces, turning around to Lannen. "I don't think you should stay..." This might get bad. And she was upset as it was. He didn't want her thinking she'd caused Ed to loose his girl. True, she may have just done that, but she didn't need to know that now. He glanced to Cha-Cha and back.

Cha-Cha silently agreed with Ed, trying not to look at the other queen. Why couldn't he have been ugly? It was the shallowest thing in the world, but if she could at least have that over him...Cha-Cha was never second best. She refused to be. But at the moment, she felt like a reject. Like second fiddle, like Ed's backup plan. She never thought she'd feel that way with him. But if Adam and Ed were close years ago...of course.

She _was _his backup. Just like when she tried to fall in love with boys to make herself feel better about ruining relationships. She was his new Adam, his effort to move on. Hell, now Ed was probably going to breakup with her. That thought brought new tears to her eyes, and she could've sworn out loud as she felt one slip down her cheek.

Lannen's jaw dropped before quivering. "Where am I supposed to go, Ed?"

He felt incredibly cold for answering this way but, "Home?"

Muddy Maybelline tears welled up in her eyes. "I need your help, Ed! For all I know I could be arrested tonight! What am I-"

"You didn't do anything," he insisted. "You're going to be fine. I'll take care of it. _Please_, Starr, go home."

* * *

**A/N: Again we made an audio version. First chapter is in my profile. If it goes well I'll put the rest up. **

Cha-Cha was played by the amazingly fantastic Operatic.

* * *


	15. The Truth Part 2

The Truth: Part 2

It made sense, though somehow it made it hurt more. Adam was Starr. She'd always thought fondly of Starr, simply because she could relate. They went through the same problem with Ed; never being able to kiss him in public, always kept behind closed doors. The only difference was that Cha-Cha stayed while Starr left. She'd always figured that just meant she loved Ed more, and he'd reciprocate. Now she just felt like a dummy.

Ed was probably promising Starr a better life with her now. He was willing to out himself on the line in order to get him back. He'd risk anything for her. And what was Cha-Cha doing? Asking Lennie, of all people, for information about her boyfriend. Who was supposed to be her boyfriend. She'd always liked the idea of Starr because she wasn't competition. Ed didn't love her, it was over. Now, though...

She felt like an idiot for staying so long. What had she been thinking? Obviously Ed had an idea of who he wanted to be with, and Cha-Cha wasn't it. He was probably just...practicing with her, so he could show Starr he was a changed man. Starr who left him as soon as the going got tough. Cha-Cha wasn't thinking clearly at all, but her mind was in a whirl and she was jumping at conclusions. The back of her hand went up to wipe her eyes, the other one still clasped in Ed's. The warmth it brought was comforting, but was starting to feel very empty.

If she were thinking clearly, she'd probably realize that they wouldn't be living together if Ed didn't care about her. He wouldn't treat her half as well as he did if he didn't love her. But sane thoughts were the last ones flying through her head, and she just wanted to get inside and away from Adam so she could cry with abandon and not worry about smudgy eyeliner and the like. Better yet, she wanted to go downstairs and cry in her own apartment, in her own bed with no Ed in sight. Sure, that all belonged to an ex before, too. But she hadn't cared so much. The attachment hadn't been there.

Cha-Cha was nearly certain Ed was going to leave her. If he wasn't going to drop her right away, he was definitely cheating on her, which would cause her to leave him. Either way, nothing could convince her that their relationship was going to keep going. But she didn't want it to end...

Ed was surrounded by crying women. The one thing that scared him most. He didn't know what he was supposed to do with a crying female. They were crazy and irrational and he never won. Two at once? This wasn't fair!

Starr stood still for a moment, and Ed really thought she wasn't going to leave. After a tense few seconds she stalked off. Gripping Cha-Cha's hand firmly he closed the apartment door. He didn't even stand in the doorway long enough to watch his ex get on the elevator. He was focused on Cha-Cha, explaining himself, getting the tears out of her eyes.

He began cautiously, "I don't know what you're thinking, but it's probably not what's really going on."

Cha-Cha barely listened to him. As soon as the door shut her hand left his and the tears started spilling. While she'd had a few close calls, this was the first time she'd ever really cried in front of him. If she was flush before, she was a tomato by this point. Standing in front of him, her body seemed to close into itself, her arms crossing in front of her chest, making her collarbone more prominent. Her shoulders shook softly, small sobs escaping her. "I can't believe you," she got out finally, when she could talk, turning away from him.

Okay, maybe he had an idea what she was thinking. Ed walked around to be in front of her again. "I didn't ask her to come here tonight, Cha-Cha. I didn't _want _her to, or...she showed up after you left and she was a wreck I couldn't just throw her out." He put two fingers under her chin to lift her head up to see her eyes. "I was just trying to calm her down."

Cha-Cha didn't particularly want him to touch her. When he touched her it gave her hope, and that hope wasn't going to be fulfilled. Moving away from him, she shook her head. "No, I know exactly why she was here," she replied in a soft, shaking voice. She didn't want him to deny it. If it was over, she wanted him to come out with it. Let her down easy, no big production. No deep conversation, just a short cut. It would be easier that way.

"I knew you were only going to be gone half an hour. Do you think I would I really have someone come over for that short a time? Not that anyone comes over for any length of time," he was sure to add quickly, "but think about it. That wouldn't make sense. Obviously you would come home and find them." Ed followed her again, gently placing a hand on her arm, hoping to keep her in one place.

"Unless that was what you wanted!" Cha-Cha replied, anger mixed with tears. She didn't want to reveal how much she knew, but her information was getting jumbled. She played it safe. "You never even told me you were still in contact with her. Admit it," she swallowed, trying to ground herself. This hurt more than it should have. Break ups got her down, but never this much. She never cried this much in front of a man. Of course, she knew Ed was different.

"You still love her, don't you?" she asked finally in a small voice.

"No, I don't. Cha-Cha she...no, she was years ago. Eight, or nine, or... I hadn't talked to her for at least two. Just, out of the blue we..." Killed someone? "Aside from these past two weeks, I haven't talked to her in over two years. That's longer than I've known you."

"Still though..." Cha-Cha replied softly. What he was saying did have some bulk, but she still didn't quite believe it. Not when she knew the truth. "Why are you putting so much on the line for her?" her voice was quiet to begin with, but got louder the more she thought about it. The more she went over it in her mind, the angrier she got. She was an idiot for staying. "She left you, for all the reasons I was willing to stay. You're risking everything for her...risking any life you could have with me...she _left_, Ed..." it drove her crazy. No matter what she did, she was destined to be his second choice. She didn't want him that way.

"I'm doing this because I'm responsible!" Ed spoke strongly, but it wasn't angry. "It's my fault she's in this mess! I could never live with myself if she went to jail for some..._stupid _mistake I made. Yes, she left. Yes, it hurt. But that doesn't mean I can just pretend I don't know her when she comes to me for help." Ed's other hand moved to her free arm. "You staying through all the sneaking around, the rules, my...panic attacks or whatever they are when I think I see someone, is..._you're _amazing. I can't even start to tell you how much it all means to me. The last thing I want to do is ruin us. But...Starr...Do you have any idea what men would _do _to her if she was in jail?" Ed wasn't in love with Starr still, but he hadn't lost his protectiveness when it came to her. The same would go if Cha-Cha was threatened by something.

"How are you responsible? What, did you tell her to stand in Bunny's line of fire? I don't believe that Ed, I just don't. You're a good person..." after everything, she still believed that much. Ed Green wasn't a murderer, and she liked to think he wouldn't intentionally hurt her, either. "None of this is making sense, Ed. Why are you taking flak for what she did?"

"I owe it to her. More, even." Ed briefly allowed himself to break eye contact with Cha-Cha. What Starr had gone through...It hadn't crossed his mind in months, but now waves of guilt had been hitting him for two weeks. "If you knew the whole story maybe you'd understand, but before I get into that I want to know you believe me when I say I don't love her anymore." That was crucial for her to understand. He didn't want Starr, he wanted her. "Why don't we sit down, okay? Isn't that what we came in here for?" He released her arms, and one hand landed on her waist. He started to walk for the couch, gently trying to guide her in that direction.

But he'd loved her once, which was probably further than Cha-Cha had gotten in her books. Sighing, she followed him slowly. Even if she wasn't quite convinced, at least she'd be getting the real story out of it. Plopping down, she took the corner just so he wouldn't take it himself. She didn't feel much like cuddling at the moment. "What's going on?" she asked, and it was clear she wasn't going to take much bsing about it. She wanted the truth, the whole truth, otherwise she was leaving again.

"Uh, well, where to start..." The beginning, yes, but where exactly did this begin? Ed wished he could have been explaining this to Cha-Cha after it was over and he could say 'See, I told you it would all work out.' "Well, you know that Starr and I were together in college. She left when I changed how often I could see her, and take her out..." Ed was almost muttering, trying hard not to mumbled, clearly not happy with sharing the following story. But he would, because causing another love to leave him was not an option.

"A few years later we ran into each other. I'd just had another man who didn't like how I have to hide leave, I was upset, she was there... She of course didn't even consider...I mean she hadn't changed, staying out of the spotlight isn't something she can easily do." He couldn't have gotten her back if he'd wanted to. He wasn't stupid enough to ask, and she didn't offer another try.

"Isn't she wonderful," Cha-Cha mumbled to herself. One more thing they had in common; only Cha-Cha was pathetic enough to deal with Ed's restrictions. Couldn't live without one man, and Starr could get by on her own just fine. She almost wished they didn't have that Ed connection, so things wouldn't be so tense between them. "Go on," she urged, not seeing how this tied into anything yet.

"I ran into her at the gambling club. I was there because, like I said, I had just gotten dumped and needed something to get my mind off it, and she was just...there. I don't really remember why. We both became regulars." Ed had to admit that if Starr hadn't been there weekly waiting for him, he probably wouldn't have returned. Wouldn't have ditched work and GA meetings. Maybe at the time he hadn't quite gotten over her. But it wasn't a constant longing. She never crossed his mind when he had someone, or was happy. But if he had a few drinks in him and yet another lover had gotten fed up with him and his rules, he'd miss his college days again.

"So you gambled together?" Cha-Cha guessed. That was what Lennie had said, right? Lannen was an old gambling buddy. But she still didn't see how that was Ed's fault. "So?" This wasn't as dramatic yet as Ed had made it out to be.

"I was the one who _taught _her how to gamble. If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have started... I quit but...she couldn't. I had Lennie to help me, he made me get into GA and stay in. I tried to do the same for her but she loved the rush too much." Ed could tell Cha-Cha wasn't impressed. He assumed you had to know what it felt like. Lennie knew where he was coming from. "I wasn't playing for money, I had more than enough to pay when I lost. Starr couldn't. I helped at first, but I thought...I don't know, maybe if I wasn't there to bail her out she'd realize she had to stop."

Cha-Cha shook her head, a deep sigh escaping her. This was beyond depressing. She knew Ed and Starr had history together, but she hadn't realized it was this deep. Now she almost felt like the other woman, and quickly pushed that idea out of her mind. "Okay, so what about now? Why did you call her, I...this still doesn't make sense..."

"When I heard Bunny was about to-" Ed stopped. Wait. Hold on. Little red flag going up. "How did you..." He sat straighter, frowning slightly and looked at her curiously. She wasn't the only one allowed to get suspicious. "I never told you I called her."

"When Bunny was about to what?" _Shit, shit, shit_. She wasn't supposed to know that. No way was that much getting out of her, no sir. She wouldn't have even had to talk to Lennie if Ed had just been honest about things. He was talking first, then maybe she'd let him in. "Before I get into that, I want to be absolutely sure of what happened," she countered, using his words.

If it were anyone else Ed would have stopped and demanded they explain. But it was his Cha-Cha, and any anger on his part might have her out the door in a second. He'd definitely get back to this, though. If he had to answer questions, so did she.

"That's jumping ahead," he said slowly, still uneasy about her knowing that. "To fully get what's going on I think you should hear the rest."

"Okay then," Ch-Cha rose an eyebrow, awaiting an explanation. However he told her, she needed to know. She had been in the dark way too long. If he had asked about her knowledge, she probably would've freaked out. He was in the wrong, not her. This was stuff she should have known a long time ago.

"Starr works in a...eh, I don't really know what to call it. Some school board thing, in charge of purchasing. When I stopped paying off her debts, to Bunny, I didn't think she'd..." He shook his head, still surprised. "She started stealing money to pay him off. Issuing phony contracts...if she would have told me it was that bad... But even that wasn't enough."

Ed wasn't sure Starr would appreciate him continuing with the story, but she'd understand it was to keep Cha-Cha, right? "When she couldn't get Bunny his money..." Ed crossed his arms and looked away, avoiding Cha-Cha's eyes. "He made her do...favors, for his friends." His eyes were darkening with an anger that came with remembering the day he'd found out. While he could keep control of his actions, it was a type of anger he didn't want Cha-Cha to even get a glimpse of. To make sure she was one hundred percent clear of what he was saying, he added roughly, "Sexual favors."

Cha-Cha nodded her head, not saying anything to that. She wasn't sure what to say. It wasn't unheard of, that sort of thing, among the girls she knew. Not many places would hire a girl with an adam's apple. What else was there to do? But Starr had a respectable job, and shouldn't have had to make money that way. As much as she didn't want to at the moment, she felt awful for the other queen. And as much as she hated to see Ed angry, that was obviously a good reason. As much as she wanted to...touch his arm, hold his hand, something, she kept her hands to herself.

Ed wasn't a mind reader. For all he knew Cha-Cha was perfectly fine with the arrangement. A nod? Seriously? He had to admit to expecting a bit more of a reaction than a nod. What, was she nodding in agreement? "I realize she isn't your favorite person right now," he began, a strange tone creeping into his voice. "But really, a nod?" Couldn't at least pretend to be a little less heartless?

Cha-Cha wasn't expecting that response from him, a frown forming on her lips. While she could have been just as annoyed, she couldn't think of anything smart alecky enough to say. She was too worn out for it. "Well I was going to take your hand, but you looked angry enough," she replied honestly. By this point, she was starting to realize that Ed probably wasn't cheating on her, making her feel a little awkward. Not to mention how angry he was going to be when he found out what she'd been doing behind his back. Better to listen quietly and play it safe, rather than trying to get close to him. She may only to be shaken off later.

Ed knew better than to pursue a fight right now. Maybe if she'd known Starr like he had Cha-Cha would have reacted differently. It wasn't her. She was above that. Maybe it was just Ed hating to see the former love of his life treated like a whore. And hating to remember.

Swallowing the comments meant for anyone but Cha-Cha, he continued. He told himself he was mad at the situation, not her. He couldn't keep that completely out of his voice, but he tried. "As you can probably guess, I found out and went after Bunny. Made it clear he and his friends needed to keep their hands off my...friend." Careful, careful. Censuring was important. As much as he wanted to fight at the moment. "They did." Ed beating Bunny to a pulp sure sent a crystal clear message to the others. "I thought Starr was alright, until two weeks ago. Bunny killed someone, he was going to be arrested, I knew when we found him he'd bring up what I did. It would lead to her..." She couldn't go to jail.

The anger in Ed's voice was only making her want to cry again. She still wasn't sure what she should've done, should've said. Ed's change in demeanor had scared her and she hadn't wanted to hold his hand, but saying nothing was just as bad, apparently. Leaning back into the couch, her hands clasped each other harder, shifting together nervously. She didn't want to fight anymore. Her eyes drifted towards the ceiling in an attempt to stop any tears, though she quickly brought them down. He might think she was rolling them.

"So that's why you called Starr?" she asked softly. Maybe he'd think the sadness in her voice was pity for Starr. It wasn't, but if the shoe fit.

"Yes." Which only reminded him that she wasn't supposed to know that. The anger began to melt into quiet suspicion, but he didn't mention anything. "I was halfway to her when I called from a pay phone. Give her a heads up things were about to get rocky. She panicked and hung up before I could tell her to stay put." Ed wondered how much she knew. And how. "I thought the pay phone would be better than my cell phone, but I didn't have any money on me, so I had to use my credit card for gas. If it hadn't been for that..." They wouldn't have found her.

It was really coming together now. They both went back to the club, both asking for Bunny. Ed got there right as Bunny was going to shoot Starr. That was that. It was hard to pretend she hadn't put it all together, but she'd already revealed more knowledge than she should have. Urging him to continue, she pretended to wipe an eyelash out of her eye in a final attempt to quell her tears. She knew no matter what she said, he was going to be angry with her. She would have alot of explaining to do. But she wasn't mad at him anymore...

"I just missed her, I tried to get to New York before she did, I even cheated and used the cherry." It was an emergency... "I actually did make it there before she did. They told me Bunny had just left, and I thought I'd get to him first." A repeat of his last visit? Maybe. He hadn't really had a plan.

"But she got there first," she filled in for him. That much, she could've drawn that conclusion all by herself. In a way she did. The nail polish he'd picked at earlier was coming off in flakes by her own doing. If her hands weren't busy, they were going to reach for his, and she was afraid of the rejection they'd face.

"Right. I don't know what she was thinking. Neither of us were thinking... She found him around the corner and told him to get lost. That the police were coming. But Bunny was high or drunk or...I don't know, he thought she said that she herself had called the police. He went crazy, shot at her...missed. And I shot him." And there it was. "I told her to go home. I'd handle it."

There it was. Everything from his mouth. It was what she'd wanted from the very beginning, and she just got it. She wished she could say it made her feel better. "Thank you for telling me," she said in a quiet voice. All thought of Ed cheating, Ed lying, all that was out of her brain. She wished she could relax now, sit with him and just work on feeling better. But she knew he was pissed off, knew she'd blown her and Lennie's cover, and she dreaded the questions he'd definitely have for her.

"You're welcome." He was going to tell her once it was finished. Did she forget he promised that? That once everything was back to normal he'd explain? Now both of them would be on edge waiting to see if he was convicted.

With his story done, he asked, "Now would you tell me how you knew I called her?" It wasn't like she overheard him. He was on a pay phone in New Jersey.

Cha-Cha sighed, leaning forward and closing her eyes for a moment. Of course. She wasn't sure how to answer him. She was screwed either way. Alright, it was a sneaky thing for them to do, but it was like Lennie said. Someone needed to look out for Ed if he wasn't going to take care of himself.

"Don't be angry," she conditioned. She couldn't take yelling at the moment, even though she deserved it. She was already on the verge of tears. "I..." she sighed, running a hand through her curls quickly. "...have been talking to Lennie."

"What?" he asked in disbelief. It took a moment to shift from surprised to angry to a mixture of plenty of others. Her tears were only slightly keeping him in check. But if she could yell at him, he had a right to return it, right? "What do you mean you were talking to Lennie?" Hey, another thing, "When?" Oh was his partner going down...

"Listen to me. First of all, it happened twice; yesterday and today. We didn't need milk and my purse is on the doorknob. But we had good reasons for it," Cha-Cha kept her voice down in hopes he's follow suit. By telling them nothing, they had no way of knowing his plan. She knew Ed wouldn't see it that way. The way he was speaking to her, it was making the tears gather in her eyes again, and this time she couldn't stop them.

"You didn't tell either of us anything. Your lover or your best friend. The two people who deserve to know the most," she finally looked him in the eyes. It seemed everything she did that night was only succeeding in making him angry. This made her pick her words more carefully, even though she knew nothing was going to stop him from hating her. "I know what's going on now, and I can understand it." Sort of. "But you have to see...you wouldn't let us in. To us it looked like you were just throwing it all away, and we _weren't _going to let you do that."

Ed didn't want to hear good reasons. He couldn't. "I told you I was going to tell you after," he said firmly. Couldn't she wait a few days more? "I wasn't going to keep you out of it forever! I just didn't want you to get stuck in the middle. And I couldn't tell Lennie because he would be obligated to tell Lieu who would call Jack and Connie." It didn't matter to him that she may have forgotten who Jack was. And that he'd probably never mentioned the new young lawyer. But did she at least see the domino effect that telling them would have caused? Ed swallowed hard. Would she tell Lennie what he just told her now?

"How were we supposed to know any of that? You didn't tell us anything," Cha-Cha shook her head, breaking eye contact with him. Yeah, she could see the problem, but while it was happening...she couldn't lie. That was sort of what she'd wanted. "All I knew was that you were hiding something from me. That could've been anything, Ed. You kept saying you'd take care of it, you'd take care of it, but...you're not superman, Ed, you have to realize," she wiped her eye quickly, her arms crossing around her middle.

She stood up, suddenly feeling awfully trapped with him on the couch. "Yes, I realize now what's going on. I realize why you didn't want anyone to know now. But yesterday, it looked like you were hiding something bad. You know that that International--Internal Affairs, you know they're on your case. You think this was helping? We were trying to help you," she told him honestly.

"I asked you to trust me enough to wait it out. That I wasn't a criminal. They're not going to convict me Cha-Cha, not when there's this much reasonable doubt." If the truth got out they also wouldn't convict him because it was defending another person. But then the embezzlement...

"You don't know that Ed. Maybe you should've been the one to talk to Lennie," Cha-Cha felt like she knew more about his case than he did. But if he wasn't letting anyone in, why was he so surprised that people were keeping things from him? Wasn't he sort of asking for it? "Those people...Internal Affairs, they're looking for any possible reason to bust you. You don't even know, Ed. Lennie has come to them with reason after reason that you're innocent, and they shoot him down. They are _obsessed _with finding you guilty, Ed," she stressed, remembering what Lennie had told her.

"If they find out how Starr is connected to Bunny they'll charge her with embezzlement. They've already charged her as my accomplice but there's no way they can back that up." He stood as well. "She _can't _go to jail, Cha-Cha."

She faced him finally, her forehead creasing. "I understand that. Neither can you, but you could," she swallowed thickly against new tears. She understood the guilt he felt, but...he couldn't go to jail. She wouldn't be able to live if that were the case, all corny, overused romantic sayings aside. She needed him. "Are you really willing to go in her place?"

He really wished she wouldn't cry. It was hard to stay angry and shout and yell when she was tearing up like that.

As for her question, he didn't want either of them to go. Starr was a fighter and tough when she needed to be, but she couldn't protect herself 24/7 in a jail with New Yorks worst. She was beautiful and feminine even out of drag, and she couldn't pull off straight if...well, her life depended on it. But Ed didn't want to abandon Cha-Cha either. "I don't know," he admitted. His voice had dropped back to normal, her watery eyes finally taking effect on him.

Cha-Cha sighed, pushing the tears off her face with the back of her hand. All the things she was saying to him, all the ways she felt...it all came back to one thing. "Ed..._please_, don't do this," she got out finally, firm despite the quiver in her voice, no lack of emotion behind it. "Please...I know, Starr's gotta be okay too, I realize that, I _do_. But..." she shook her head, her fist against her forehead, her face screwed up. Any attempt to hold tears back was futile and long since given up.

"I need you too," she finally got out. Over dramatic, absolutely. Cha-Cha was nothing if not over the top. Wiping the tears off her cheeks again, her arms went back around herself. "I know, I know I know this isn't easy for you but please, just..." _stay with me. Don't give this up for someone else._

Ed's hands instinctively went to her face, holding her gently. His thumbs wiped at her tears slowly, the fire in him being drenched by her waterworks. Crying wasn't fair, it always worked. "I don't want to leave you, Cha-Cha," he promised. "That's the last thing I want." He hated waiting a few days to see her. He couldn't imagine months. Years. Ever. He stopped his fingers, standing perfectly still. "I love you." More than Starr, more than anyone.

It took a second for those words to click inside of Cha-Cha. As soon as they did, her arms were around his neck. If anything, her crying increased due to the emotion coming over her. Her heart sped up again and the tingles returned, but for an extremely different reason than before.

She wasn't frowning anymore, though, and her forehead became less creased. Earlier on, Cha-Cha might have rejected it. Passed it off as him trying to get in her good books, trying to make her forget her suspicions and get off his back. Now though...he had nothing to gain. Nothing selfish, anyways. Nobody was making him say it. Despite everything, the corners of her mouth turned up slowly. He meant it.

"I love you," she echoed back softly, the smile on her face incapable of budging. One hand covered her mouth gently, covering a soft giggle, before returning around his neck.

Ed's hands left her face to travel down, following her arms to her hips. He'd been trying to tell her for weeks. Each time he'd gotten close she'd look at him with an expression clearly saying 'Don't go there yet'. This probably wasn't the ideal moment, but it meant more than just looking to her while sitting on the couch and saying 'Hey, by the way' right? It was definitely a better reaction than the look.

He didn't know what was supposed to come after this. Pick up where they left off and keep fighting? Forget everything?

To Cha-Cha, there was only one thing that made sense to do. She leaned up, touching her lips to his gently. You couldn't say you loved someone without kissing them after. Her eyes closed, cheeks wet but a good sort of wet. It was alright to cry when someone loved you. Happy tears were allowed.

Ed returned it without a second thought. Deepened it without a second thought. Her tears gave her a new salty flavor. "I thought we were angry," he said pulling back after some time, a shadow of a smile appearing. She was still crying? Was she made of water?

Cha-Cha returned the smile, hands rubbing his shoulders as she shook her head. "That was before," she said softly. That was over with. Yelling at him and crying were not her ideas of a good time. Loving him and being loved by him? That was better. Sighing happily, she kissed him again quickly. "'M busy now."

Ed carefully sat down, bringing her with him. He welcomed this change of pace. Questions about Starr could really get him going.

With Cha-Cha on his lap now, it seemed safe to say the worst of the night was over. He had a question or two left, but they could wait a little longer. Had to be asked tonight, but...they could wait. "I'm sorry for being an asshole again."

The smile on Cha-Cha's face hadn't disappeared yet, and it showed no signs of shrinking. She shook her head, running a hand over her cheek. "I'm sorry baby. Really..." not for anything in particular. Just the whole night. For talking to Lennie behind his back. For nodding. For everything. She shifted around on his lap in an attempt to get comfortable, her arms looping around his body.

"Look at you, getting all cozy," he teased. Ed had no intention of stopping her. In fact he was doing the same, wrapping around her and letting himself relax. Letting his guard down. It almost felt like nothing had happened. Almost. For him anyway. She appeared to be completely lighthearted now.

"You love it," Cha-Cha pointed out, kissing him again. She was done with fighting for the night. All she wanted as to hold onto him, cuddle, maybe get some sleep later on. Feel better. She'd had enough crying to last her a lifetime. Smiling against his lips, she trailed those kisses down to his jawline.

His eyes closed, smiling fully for the first time in several hours. "No denying that," he agreed. Well, if this didn't prove that her crying could get her out of anything, he didn't know what would. She was spoiled, he was a pushover. Yes, it was getting back to normal. Just to be annoying Ed tilted his head to the side a bit, saying lightly, "You missed a spot."

Cha-Cha giggled, kissing the spot three times over to make up for it before trailing the kisses back to his mouth. This was all she wanted to do for the rest of the night. It was already eleven, how much more heartache could either of the take? She wanted to go to bed with him, sleep, then wake up and hear him say he loved her. Kiss him. Wash, rinse, repeat. "You're amazing," she mumbled.

"I have my moments," he smirked. "You're not bad yourself." Ed's fingers played with the hem of her shirt. He wondered if he was forgiven enough to pursue what he was thinking. He kept his lips pressed against some part of her as much as possible, and a hand ran down her chest. First over her shirt, then moving underneath it, testing the waters.

Cha-Cha bit her lip before kissing him lovingly. That was her go-ahead. Actions spoke louder than words, right? It had been a long night, she needed...a release. Part of her wondered if it would be different now, with those words out in the open. But that could only be for the better, right?

Ed grinned, satisfied with that as an answer. Somehow or other the two of them would make it to their bedroom, whether they crawled, walked, or ran. He wanted to make up for lying. Yelling. Over reacting. And everything else he did today. He needed to.


	16. It's Over

I thought I'd try putting the lines in separating our posts to see if that would make it easier to follow. Let me know.

* * *

**It's Over**

Last night had been quite unexpected. Starr dropping by, Cha-Cha coming home at the wrong time, them fighting, them making up so easily.

Ed awoke in his bed, and like so many times before, had his Cha-Cha beside him. Actually it was more likely to awaken with her partially on top of him. Waiting for her to wake up, and not really caring if he was the cause of that, he played with her short curls.

* * *

Cha-Cha slept longer than she usually did. Crying, being upset, that always took alot out of her. That paired wuth her and Ed's make up, and she was out like a light. When her eyes finally fluttered open, it wouldn't surprise her in the least if it was nearing eleven. She'd fallen asleep after midnight, and could probably sleep in till twelve if she wanted to. And at the moment, she sort of felt like she wanted to. Ed Green was beside her, though her arm was splayed across his chest, keeping him close. A smile met her lips as she remembered the night before. It had started out bad, but the ending was better than happy.

"Morning," she mumbled, running her fingers lazily over his chest.

* * *

"Morning," he echoed. Tugging her up closer he gave her a brief good morning kiss. Checking the time, it was actually past eleven. Had they really been that exhausted? Then again, when was the last time he'd had to get up for work? Two weeks ago? He was out of the habit of waking up early. An annoying ringing was coming from over the side of the bed, but he pulled a pillow over his head instead of investigating. To him it was still too early for the world to be involved yet.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, sitting up slowly. She didn't particularily want to get up yet, either, but she felt lazy. Usually she wasn't in bed past ten. "Aren't you gonna get that?" she asked the pillow monster beside her, reaching over to grab receiver. Hopefully it would be a telemarketer so she could get back to where she was before. Her brain wasn't ready for anything more complicated. "Hello?"

* * *

"It's Lennie. I need to talk to Ed." He didn't mean to be rude, but he needed his partner on the phone. Now. However, that partner was currently hiding beneath a sack of feathers.

"If it's for me, I'm sleeping," he mumbled, voice muffled.

* * *

Cha-Cha looked over at Ed. He didn't look to awfully ready to talk. "What's going on?" she asked before handing the receivor over. Ed didn't want to talk, and Cha-Cha didn't want to be left in the dark. Whatever was happening, though, it sounded urgent. So much for getting back to where they were.

* * *

Ed came out from under his pillow, grasping the phone loosely. "Yeah? What? No I know that, I mean what about her? Him. Just get to the point." His eyes widened. "What for?..._What_? How could they- ...Damn it. ...Hey if I'd told you, you would of- ...Where is she? I'll be there in half an hour. Who's all there? ...Just tell them I'm coming." Ed hung up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. He leaned back to give her a quick peck on the cheek, saying, "I need to go to the precinct."

* * *

"What?" Cha-Cha frowned, rubbing her eye. Why so early? That was annoying. Deep down she knew if he was taking off in a hurry, it was probably a pretty good reason, but she was too lazy to understand that. "Why? What's going on? Lennie didn't tell me anything." That was a first.

* * *

Ed was grabbing clothes and hurrying to the bathroom. "It's Starr," he said, starting the water to warm it up. He wasn't sure if Cha-Cha was annoyed he was this worried, but he didn't really have time to think about it. He needed to go over his story again. Though he hadn't counted on Lennie finding out about the embezzlement issue. Sticking his hand under the water, he decided that it wasn't freezing, and he could live with it. "You can go back to sleep if you want," he suggested, closing the door and jumping in the shower. He knew she was up for good now.

* * *

"I don't think so," Cha-Cha mumbled to herself. What was Starr?...They'd found her, hadn't they? There was no ither reason why Ed would be taking off in such a hurry. But what was he planning to do...

Whatever it was, it would be drastic. And Cha-Cha doubted she'd like it. But he wouldn't do anything stupid...right? Nothing that would get him put in jail. Get him taken away from her. Right? Swallowing hard, she started climbing out of bed, grabbing her pajama pants on the way. Grabbing her purse, she started looking for Lennie's number.

She used the phone in the kitchen, away from Ed. The other end rang a few times, and she waited semi-patiently for Lennie to pick up.

* * *

Seeing the number and assuming it was his partner, Lennie picked up where they'd left off. "You'll probably get here first, Ed, they only left his house half an hour ago." Checking his watch, he saw that gave Ed almost an hour. What did Ed plan to do? He was in enough trouble as it was.

* * *

"Lennie, what's going on?" Cha-Cha demanded, watching the bedroom door carefully. No one was telling her anything, and she wasn't used to it. Ed wasn't leaving her out of the loop again. "Ed told me everything last night. What's going on with Starr?"

* * *

"Oh." He hadn't thought she'd be calling. Woops. "Uh...Starr?" he asked, not following. "Wait, he told you _everything_?" Now she was ahead of him? Lennie couldn't keep up.

* * *

"Starr? Lannen?" Cha-Cha bit her lip. Ed was going to do something stupid, she knew it. Well, not stupid, but...something she wouldn't like. Something that wouldn't turn out in her favour. "Everything. The truth. I can tell you, but you've gotta tell me what's being done over there. Why does Ed have to take off in such a hurry?" she was shirtless and cold.

* * *

"Lannen's Starr? Never mind tell me later." Didn't really matter at the moment. "I called to give Ed a heads up that his friend got caught making fake contracts for his company. Apparently Ed knew, telling me would have been nice..." he grumbled. Well, hey, he should be used to that by now. "They've arrested him, but we haven't gotten word to the lawyers yet, we need to talk to him face to face and get a statement. Ed probably wants to get here before anything is written or signed." It was a long shot, but, "Maybe someone else in the department did it and made it look like Lannen? Or Ed will push for that? I don't know what he wants to do."

* * *

Cha-Cha groaned, closing her eyes. "Ed's gonna do everything in his power to save Lannen. But...Ed's innocent," she whispered, her eyes going to the door again. If Ed heard her telling Lennie all this... "He's ..." she didn't even know what to say. "I don't know what he's gonna do exactly, but he's not gonna let Lannen go to jail. He's got a kid or something, they used to date, there's a ton of history between the two of them with Bunny, but..." her words were getting jumbled. "I don't know what to do..."

* * *

"Slow down. They both knew Bunny. Did they both plan to kill him?" That just wasn't like Ed. And he really hoped there wasn't a love triangle involved. People did weird things when it came to love triangles. "Did he go there planning on killing him?"

* * *

"No. It is such a long story...dammit though, he knows I've been talking to you," she bit her lip. There was that tingly feeling again. "I can't tell you it all now. He's gonna get out of the shower soon, if he knew I was talking to you..." she exhaled deeply. Despite how angry he'd been with her, apparently she hadn't learned her lesson. "When can we talk better? It needs to be soon."

* * *

"I have to be here to keep him in check," Lennie answered. "Hold on. How does Ed know we've been talking?" Great. Just great. Once Ed got this Lannen thing under control, if there was extra time he'd be after him. "Never mind, it's not important. Tell him-well, no then he'd know I told you to tell him... mention to him how you heard the judge on the case believes all cops are capable of having a darker side." That any cop could be a guilty cop. He paused. "How the hell would you hear that...?" he asked, shooting down his own idea. "Forget it, I'll just have to catch him when he gets here."

The bathroom door opened, and Ed made for a drawer, looking for socks. "Cha-Cha?" he called.

* * *

"_Shit_ I have to go," Cha-Cha spat out, nearly slamming the phone down. That was unhelpful. Lennie didn't know the truth and Ed was still on his way. "Out here!" she called back, scarmbling for some reason to be in the kitchen. Putting the kettle on, she bit her lip as she tried to think of what to do.

* * *

Ed speed walked into the kitchen, shoes in hand saying, "There you are." He plopped down into a chair and began putting them on, tying them sloppily. "Tea? Really? Now?" he asked, almost out of breath from running around. Babbling slightly he continued on, adding, "Well it'll help you relax. And you do look sort of cold, maybe you should grab a shirt or robe or something." Springing up from his chair he went to her, giving her cheek another quick peck. "I love you," he promised before heading for the door. _Remember that. Just in case._

"If Lennie calls again, don't answer!" And he was gone.

* * *

Cha-Cha couldn't get a word in edgewise. "Bye," she said softly after the door had closed. One thing was for sure- she couldn't just sit around. For all she knew, he was going to go stick his wrists in handcuffs, just to save time. Picking up the phone again, she dialed Lennie's number. "He's gone, I need to tell you what I know," she got out as soon as the older man answered.

* * *

Ed arrived at the precinct in record time. He'd called his lawyer as he drove, telling - or rather demanding- he meet him there as soon as possible. He avoided Lieu and waited in a less traveled through hallway. Changing his mind, he went to look for someone who knew what was going on. He wanted to know who found what where, and how this was all happening.

His lawyer finally arrived. Ed quickly launched into his prepared story, throwing away the self defense plea.

* * *

Cha-Cha kept the story as short and to the point as possible. It wasn't easy keeping her opinions out of it, but it would take too long trying to tell how she felt. "But I know he's not gonna tell you any of that. Nothing that could get Starr convicted."

Lennie paused. "Can you make it down here? If you know the truth--if that is the truth--that could be helpful to Ed's case..."

Cha-Cha couldn't move fast enough to get dressed.

* * *

Ed impatiently waited for the District Attorneys to arrive. The one way mirror was adding to his nerves. He'd never minded it when interrogating someone else, or looking through it, but actually being the suspect without being in control...knowing who was listening on the other side...it was unnerving. He hoped Lieu didn't watch this. That Lennie was busy elsewhere.

His lawyer sat beside him, flipping through papers he'd already gone through a million times. He reread Ed's statement again. And once more. Pointed out that Ed hadn't signed it. Truth be told, the detective hadn't been able to bring himself to do it yet. "Oh. I don't have a pen on me now." The other man started to dig through his bag. _Where are the DA's?_

* * *

Cha-Cha arrived at the station a good half hour after Ed did. While she couldn't go out without any makeup at all, she'd passed over alot of things. Just a quick foundation and some random lipstick she'd found. It was a miracle she'd found the precinct on her own, a page with the address having been frantically torn from the phonebook. She was a woman with a mission though, stopping a few people on the street for directions. A risky move, but few could stop Cha-Cha when she was determined.

Opening the door quickly, she did all she could to avoid Ed while simultaneously seeking out Lennie.

* * *

Lennie found her easily enough, she did stand out. He told her Ed wouldn't be running into her anytime soon because he was talking with his lawyer in an isolated room. "I'll tell Lieu you're...I don't know, I'll think of something. A witness or something. That I need you to listen to what he says and corroborate his story. Lannen got here just before you did. No one bothered to tell me he was a she..." Lennie didn't mean any offense, he was just baffled by now having to work with two drag queens his partner had dated. Was dating? No, they're ruled out love triangles...

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded. She didn't have the first idea what he meant, but whatever she had to do, she'd do it. "She goes by Starr," she nodded her head. Even though, as Ed had said, Starr wasn't her favourite person in the world, she atleast should go by the right name. "As long as Ed doesn't find out about this, it'll be okay," she added.

* * *

ADA Cutter reached Ed before Lennie and Cha-Cha. "What are we doing here?"

Ed sat silently as his lawyer spoke for him. "To make a deal. He'll plead to Manslaughter 2. He does six months."

Cutter looked at Ed warily. "Well that's a change of heart. What happened to self defense?"

"Do you want it or not?" the lawyer asked.

Meanwhile, Lennie had been walking Cha-Cha to the room. Stopping beside the one way window, sound not yet enabled, he went over the basic rules. "You can listen and watch. No going in, no hitting the window, the obvious stuff. He can't know you're here." Lieu had followed to watch as well. She'd heard about Cha-Cha through the grapevine and was curious as to what she had to offer.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, for once in her life feeling nervous around new people. Lennie was fine; she'd become more or less comfortable with the older detective. More or less. But Van Buren? She was one of the main people they'd had to hide from. Ed's boss. The mama. She introduced herself to Lieu, noticably with less gusto than she normally would (of course her lover's future being on the line had something to do with that too). At least Lieu loked nice enough...

* * *

Lennie hit the button that allowed them to listen in. Raised the blinds.

Ed swallowed nervously as they waited for the DA's response. "No deal." Ed immediately looked to his lawyer, who in turn glared at the attorney and sat further forward in his chair, intent on getting to the bottom of it to keep his client happy.

"Why such a hard ass, Cutter? What is this about?"

"That is exactly what I want to know." Cutter hit the intercom button and asked for Connie.

Lennie looked to Cha-Cha. "Did he mention any deals to you?" he asked hopefully. They both had missed the offer.

* * *

"He hasn't told me anything," Cha-Cha swallowed. Meaning she probably wouldn't like the answer. Ed didn't even want her there. Obviously, he was going to disregard how much she wanted him to stay with her, he was still going to give his freedom up for Starr...and she was beyond a one way mirror. There was absolutely nothing she could do about it, no matter how much she wanted to, no matter how hard she'd asked him.

* * *

Connie led the way, Starr and an escorting officer following after. The man kept a firm grip on her arm as if he thought she'd dash off at any second. She shrugged it off with a huff. He made to return it but she snapped, "I'm not going anywhere. Don't touch me." She slowed her pace as she saw Cha-Cha outside her destination. Glancing at the nervous wreck of a girlfriend, slightly confused as to why she was there, she entered the room to find Ed, and started to realize why the queen had looked panicked.

"I believe you know Detective Green," Cutter said to her, motioning to Ed. She nodded. "He just offered to plead guilty to a criminal charge for shooting Bunny."

* * *

Cha-Cha froze when she spotted Starr. Of course she knew the other queen would be there, just...part of her hadn't expected to see her yet. Just as pretty as she was the day before. Cha-Cha was barely wearing foundation and probably looked a perfect mess. She tried to keep her head down, forgetting Starr couldn't see her anymore through the window.

At Cutter's statement, her face fell and her stomach dropped. Part of her knew that was gonna happen, but it still hurt to hear. Ed was going to jail. He'd rather take the fall for an ex, than tell the truth and stay with his lover. Running her hands through her curls, a deep sigh escaped her mouth. Luckily no tears were coming yet. Later when it dawned on her, though...

* * *

"A _minor_ criminal charge," Ed corrected, pleading with his eyes for her to go along with it. Her jaw slightly dropped as she tried to keep her best poker face on. Her own eyes widened as her head tilted to the side in quiet surprise.

"I'm not taking his offer, he's still on trial for murder, and we're back in court in an hour," Cutter announced, watching the two of them carefully.

"It's okay, they're not gonna convict me," he said, sounding more sure of himself than he actually felt. _Keep quiet and go with my story._ He'd learned the embezzlement claim hadn't been proven, they'd just accused.

"Still a gambler, huh detective? You were with him in those days," he said, turning to face Starr. "Tell me, did he usually win, or _lose?_"

"Okay we're done here," Ed said as he stood quickly, lawyer following suit. He hoped he could talk to her for a moment privately in the hallway.

* * *

Cha-Cha watched Ed stand with wide eyes. "Crap, is he gonna see me? He can't know I'm here," she mumbled to Lennie. Even though she had multiple bones to pick with Ed, then was not the time. Suppose this was the last time she got to talk with Ed before...if it was, she didn't want those words to be angry. As hurt as she was.

* * *

Cutter continued, rising as well and looking at Ed and Starr challengingly. "This time it's not just gonna cost him money, this time he's betting his _life_." The drag queen looked to Ed for help, unsure what would happen if he went to court. Did he really think he could get off? How long would he go to jail if he didn't? How long would she if they knew?

"Starr, _don't say anything_," Ed said firmly. _Let me do this._

Connie's ears perked up. "Don't say anything about what?" Starr was clenching and unclenching her fists, biting her lip, blinking quickly...

"About money?" the DA guessed. "Missing from your accounts? About phony contracts issued about the same time you were deep into gambling?" He couldn't prove this, but she didn't know. "You embezzled to pay your debts, didn't you? And Bunny knew." Starr opened her mouth to respond but Ed cut her off.

"_No_. Bunny knew about _me_. That _I_ lost money, that _I _kicked his ass and I threatened him."

"That's his story, and that's about to send him to prison."

Lennie held a hand out to stop Cha-Cha in case she was going to bolt. Apparently they weren't done in there, and he didn't want to have to recap this for her later.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed deeply, watching the scene intently. What was she supposed to do then? Ed was pleading guilty and she couldn't do anything about it. Ed was pleading guilty and doing exactly what she had begged him not to. Part of her had believed he was going to hold on for her, too. But...Starr came first, she supposed. This was more important. It killed her.

"What do I do if he comes out here?" she asked in a whisper, eyes darting between the people in the room. Part of her wished Starr would speak, in case she had some sense that Ed didn't. What if she didn't though, and she only made it worse? Who was she kidding, either way she was losing her man in a way that was completely...unfair. And was completely his choice.

* * *

The drag queen couldn't quite get Cha-Cha's expression out of her mind. She'd looked so...desperate for Ed. "No-"

"_Starr..._" he warned, shaking his head with a less than stable voice.

"_That's_ why detective Green never said you were there. Because he didn't want _you_ to go to jail."

Starr's jaw quivered as she went back and forth between talking and staying silent. Who would jail be worse for? She had her baby, Ed had his girl. She knew he felt responsible, but what was she supposed to say to his current lover when... Starr looked at the table, twisting her fingers nervously. "He felt guilty. He felt...like it was his fault."

Ed's breathing picked up its pace. "Starr, think about what you're doing."

Whispering back to Cha-Cha, even though he knew Ed couldn't hear, Lennie replied, "Duck around that corner," he pointed down the hall, "or stay here."

* * *

"No, wait..." Cha-Cha raised her hand, watching the scene intently. Starr was...that was the truth. If Starr was telling the truth...maybe she was too quick to judge the other queen? Cause at the moment, she could probably kiss her if that wouldn't be wrong on so many levels. "That's true," she said softly, pointing at Starr. She shook her head at Ed, urging him to shut his mouth. Things were working out. He needed to stay out of jail. She needed to be mad at him, and then hold him again and not let go. Because that was how it usually went. Things needed to stay normal, he couldn't go to jail.

* * *

"It's what I should've done from the start," she said, shaking her head as his eyes pleaded again for her to stay quiet. She sat down slowly, she herself not quite believing what she was doing. Ed followed suit, eyes tearing in desperation and anguish. He looked around nervously, eying everything except the people in the room.

Starr began to recap what happened. After a few moments Ed interrupted. "She needs a lawyer, get her a lawyer."

"Ed, I don't want a lawyer," she said, trying to sound confident but obviously scared. Turning to Cutter she continued. "He's been protecting me for years..." By the time she admitted to the group what Bunny had had her do, Ed's eyes were watering harder than ever. She was digging herself into a hole and he wanted to stop her. "That's why Ed beat him up. To make him let me go." Her hands were fidgeting again, and she was talking slower. Nibbling at her nails awkwardly. "And it worked. I climbed out of it after that." She continued to the end, explaining how Bunny had died and why.

"None of this is admissible... " Ed insisted, drumming his fingers against the table anxiously.

"That's enough, Ed," Starr said softly. "It's my fault too."

* * *

Cha-Cha watched the scene before her, tears finally gathering in her eyes. Before, she'd only really seen the one side of it. She wanted her Ed with her, forget everything else. But now...now she understood. Now, she could almost see Ed's confliction. Almost. If there was a way for both of them to stay out...both if them to stay. "That's what Ed told me, too," she said softly, running her hand over the side of her face.

* * *

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, actually directing it at Cutter. As if he'd made her confess.

The DA shrugged. "We thought you were worth saving."

That only made Ed feel worse. Why couldn't he have been a cop with a bad reputation? They would have thought he'd done it, no question. That Ed Green had it coming.

Ed was a thirty eight year old New York Detective, and he was about to cry.

Starr couldn't look him in the eye for long. Turning her eyes she stood and left abruptly, glancing quickly at Cha-Cha out of the corner of her eye before averting her eyes and going the other way down the hall.

Ed stood as she left, momentarily frozen. When he got himself together he darted after her, catching her in hallway. "Why did you _do_ that?" he asked, holding her head in his hands to make her look at him. "Why did you do that?" Starr smiled sadly and simply nodded in the direction behind him. Ed turned and saw Cha-Cha, expression clearly showing his bewilderment. He instantly let go of Starr. As if Cha-Cha seeing him touching his ex was the biggest problem right now.

* * *

Cha-Cha froze as Ed's eyes fell on her, but she had trouble getting too nervous. It...was over. Ed was fine. They didn't have to worry about Bunny anymore, or gambling or even sneaking around. Starr did the right thing. Cha-Cha didn't want either of them to be convicted, but...she did the right thing. She'd been spotted, meaning it was time to give up any attempt to hide. She wasn't trying very hard anymore anyway. Approaching them slowly, she'd barely even noticed Ed's hands on Starr. It didn't matter to her.

* * *

Cha-Cha didn't listen to him about not talking to Lennie. He knew this because he now noticed Lennie talking to Van Buren, conveniently trying to stand behind her. What else was new? But he couldn't bring himself to care. He also couldn't figure out where to look. New rule, they were not allowed to be in the same room together. "What are you doing here?" He was shocked. Not the least bit angry, but it may have come off that way. How did she even know where the precinct was?

"Lennie told me to come," Cha-Cha replied softly, looking between the two of them. Of course that meant that she disobeyed him in speaking to Lennie, but that was not alot of her concern right now. She wasn't sure what to say to the other girl. Nothing really seemed like enough. Simply to thank her didn't even touch how grateful she was.

"Starr..." Words were failing her, whadyaknow. First time for everything. "I don't know why you did that, but...you have no idea how much it means to me." She swallowed. Maybe she'd skip ahead to the part where she never let Ed go. It was hard to be mad at him right now when she was starting to understand.

* * *

Starr blinked back scared tears, smiling in an almost convincing way. "I'm through with being in debt, honey. I don't need to be owing Ed now." She looked at him, attempting to smirk. "You're crazy Eddie. What made you risk that?"

To quote DA Cutter, "I thought you were worth saving."

Despite the numerous emotions now hitting her as everything she'd done was sinking in, she was still able to blush. "Damn it, Ed... I love you." They both laughed because they knew it wasn't true.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled lightly. She loved Ed...ridiculously. But that could wait. Her hands were clapsed in themselves, way more nervous that she should have been. People didn't intimidate, but somehow the ones in Ed's life did. She knew she misjudged Starr and still felt awful about it. "So what now?" she asked softly. Almost afraid to ask, but honestly not knowing. Maybe Starr wouldn't immediately go to jail. There had to be...a trial or something, right? Hell, she didn't know.

* * *

"I'm getting her a lawyer," Ed answered.

"Ed I told you-"

"Ah! Nothing you say is going to stop me. _Starr_. You've got a daughter now. What is she supposed to do without you?"

The drag queen wiped at her eyes. "Are you always right?"

Ed laughed and looked to Cha-Cha. "Not even half the time." He knew she'd agree.

* * *

"Just this once," Cha-Cha agreed with a small grin, only slightly forced. It was over. That was enough to make her smile. And Starr wasn't necessarily going to jail. She wasn't definitely free, but they were focusing on the positives. This may have been a win-win situation. Either way...she had her man. And she didn't have to smack anyone to get him.

* * *

The idea of her needing a lawyer was starting to be fully understood. She was seriously in trouble. Jail time was not an option. Was there a deal to be made that didn't involve prison? Slowly her already small smiles slipped away. She licked her lips, chewing on them slightly afterward. Squeezing her eyes closed as she took a deep breath, she tried to get a hold of herself. Her makeup was already smearing as it was. Water was starting to return to her eyes anyway. "Be honest Eddie, how terrified do I look?" She was talking to the floor.

Ed wanted to give her a hug and tell her she'd be fine. But if anyone was getting hugged, it would be Cha-Cha. Group hug? Ha. No. He settled for putting a hand under her chin, urging her to look at him. "Hey, hey...where's my Shining Starr?" If anyone was going to be referred to with a pet name, he thought afterward, it would probably be best if it were Cha-Cha too.

* * *

Cha-Cha scratched the top of her nose quickly, the smile becoming just a touch more forced. Just a touch. They were close, she understood that. Mostly she was just impatient for her own turn in Ed's arms. It was amazing; for being gay, Ed was quite the ladies' man.

* * *

What could he say? He'd spent the last nine years pretending to be straight nearly 24/7. He had practice.

"I haven't let anyone call me that since college." In other words, since him. Maybe she'd kept a soft spot for him for a while. But the rules were too much, and she'd never be back.

"As if you went to college."

"Shut up. I was on the campus. It counts." She grinned again, and Ed let her go, satisfied.

Cha-Cha's nose scratch hadn't gone unnoticed. Alright, her turn. Ed slipped an arm around his girls waist.

* * *

Cha-Cha felt better. Honestly she'd wanted to be in his arms the whole time, but hadn't in fear she'd make Starr uncomfortable. She wasn't too concerned by that anymore. Starr was wonderful but as long as there were some boundaries, right? As long as Ed remembered who he was going home with. She couldn't resist leaning up to kiss his cheek softly.

* * *

Ed gave her a light squeeze. "I'll call you soon and we'll figure this out, okay?" he asked Starr. He had a feeling Cha-Cha wanted this to end soon. Starr nodded and said her goodbyes, not forgetting to apologize for whatever trouble she may have caused between the two the night before. However when they all looked back on this maybe they'd be grateful. After all, it did get the truth out of Ed. He watched he leave with a sad smile, then turned to Cha-Cha. Starr being there wasn't exactly why he had been being distant. "Darling you do realize that you just kissed me...in the middle of my work. In front of my boss. After I almost lost my job. Right?"

* * *

Ed was lucky that was all she'd done. No one had seen anyway, and his arm was already around her waist. "Didn't realize we were hiding anymore," she shrugged. Neither of them did a very good job of it. Well...okay maybe he did. But he'd been cuddling up to Starr; wasn't that just as bad? Cha-Cha was the one he was dating. Then again, the average men may have been unable to tell the two queens apart. Sad but true.

* * *

He laughed, wrapping his other arm around her and pulling her up nice and close. "Only joking." He kissed her. Long, deep, and making it obvious to anyone who cared to glance over that he was madly in love with this drag queen.

Van Buren and Lennie stood off to the side, eyebrows raised. The detective wasn't entirely impressed. "I've seen worse." Lieu looked at him questioningly. "Don't ask," he sighed.

* * *

Cha-Cha beamed, her arms wrapping around his neck as she returned the kiss. Even if they still had to hide, that was way out the window. Too hard not to kiss him now. Or ever. But especially now. "I love you," she said softly after breaking away. Those were still different words to say; Ed was the first person in...almost ever she'd ever said them to and meant it. But they were words she could get used to saying.

* * *

"And I love you." Ed's nose touched hers lightly. "So, how much trouble am I in?" he asked. "And do you accept bribes?"

* * *

Cha-Cha tried to take on a pensive expression, but couldn't fight a grin. "Oh, that. I'd totally forgotten. Now that you mentioned it though..." she traced a circle on the back of his neck, kissing him again gently. It was hard to be mad anymore. Earlier on, yes, but now...she was so relieved it was over. And she understood what he was doing, too. Somewhat. But she didn't want to fight anymore.

* * *

"I'm fine with it staying forgotten," he chuckled. Feeling way too many familiar eyes on them, he gently pulled out of her arms, making sure though to keep her hand in his. Lacing his fingers with hers he slowly started toward Lennie and Van Buren. "Did you meet Lieu already?" he asked before they'd reached them. He needed to know if his job was still in jeopardy, even if his freedom no longer was.

* * *

"I said hi to her," Cha-Cha nodded, squeezing his hand. "Didn't tell her I was the supposedly fictional girlfriend, but I _think_ she figured that out," she added. If she didn't know already, that kiss would definitely be a give away.

* * *

"I think she has too." Ed smiled nervously at Lieu. This was actually one of the easier ways for her to find out. Not favorite exactly, but he didn't have to go through the awkward _Hey, I've been meaning to tell you something..._ "Lieu, I'd like to properly introduce you to Cha-Cha. She's who I've been talking about the past few months." He didn't really have anything planned to say.

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned to herself. The more Ed talked about her, the better. She shook Lieu's hand, watching the other woman's expression carefully. Confusion, maybe, but she didn't seem nasty about it. That was a point in their favour.

"It's nice to meet you," Van Buren replied, her eyes drifting to Ed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

* * *

"Word gets around...I heard what happened to Ryan a few years ago, Hastings before that..." Both of them and more had been in 'accidents' involving fellow officers. "It's not you two I was worried about," he said, partially true. He had been nervous they'd look at him differently, and a negative kind of different. "It's just some of the other guys... And when you decide to stay in the closet, you stay in closet."

* * *

Cha-Cha bit her lip. She had pretty much forced him out, hadn't she? But it was for his own good. You couldn't go through life lying to everybody. As easily as Ed could probably pass, it was better to just be honest. Squeezing his hand gently, she tried to think of an excuse to get his arm around her waist again.

Lieu seemed to understand this. It wasn't hard to tell an accident from an 'accident'. "How long has this been going on?"

* * *

Ed looked to Cha-Cha, hoping she'd correct him if he was wrong or agree if he was right. "Five months?" he guessed. "We met in August, but..." They didn't really count the testing the waters months as actually being together.

* * *

"About..." Cha-Cha replied, thinking about that one. Was that right? April, March...wow. It hadn't felt nearly that long. That was a little spooky to be honest. "Hey you're gonna owe me an anniversary, boy," she realized with a grin. And like five other one-month ones, if she wanted to get really particular. She left it alone. The two other people in the room where already iffy-ish on her.

"That long?" Lieu asked, surprised.

* * *

He hadn't wanted to say anything at all, and especially if it wasn't clear that she'd be around for a long time. "I was planning on telling you eventually Lieu," he said, knowing how unconvincing that argument must have sounded.

"We both found out on accident," Lennie grumbled.

Van Buren turned to look at him now. "You knew too?"

Lennie groaned. Shoot. "Not for long..."

* * *

_Only because he can't knock,_ Cha-Cha wanted to point out. She held back, though. Usually she didn't care too much about how she came off to people...but these people were important to Ed in some way. Best not to mess anything up. Plus, she'd kind of sort of be okay with them liking her and approving of their relationship. It would be nice to be out to more people. Who knew, maybe one day they wouldn't have to hide at all. It could happen.

* * *

"So. Uh." How to ask this... "About my job..." Was he still suspended? Not suspended? Fired? Somewhere in between?

"Be back Monday." It was currently Tuesday. Almost a week off. Normally he'd be thrilled, but he'd already been off three weeks. He was running out of shows to watch. Although with he and Cha-Cha on better terms...oh the possibilities...

* * *

So all that and Ed was free, Starr had the possibility of getting off, and she was still dating a handsome detective? Cha-Cha's smile widened. This whole ordeal was almost ending up pointless; not too much changed from it. Well, a few things, but... "Totally the same?" she asked. Change in hours, pay cuts, etcetera.

* * *

Ed looked at Van Buren expectantly. This proved he was with someone and not doing anything illegal. Would she finally give in and let him be home more? Of course if they had a homicide he'd stay all night no question, but if it was just another day of paperwork that could wait, could he clock out a tad earlier than normal?

"We'll go over it Monday," she answered. Everything else could be discussed then and there too, as far as she was concerned. "That said, I'm going to lunch." It was almost one.

* * *

Cha-Cha lifted her hand, bringing Ed's with it so she could check his watch. One? It felt so much later. Of course they got up late, but alot had happened since then. Part of her was glad though. Lots of time to celebrate...yes, her mind was going to the gutter again. It practically lived there on most days, and she and Ed hadn't been taking advantage of it too often lately.

* * *

"See you, Lieu." Off she went. Ed turned to Cha-Cha. "Are you hungry?" he asked. He hadn't realized he was near starving. Was she feeling the same?

* * *

"Yeah, sort of," Cha-Cha agreed. She hadn't eaten since the previous evening, before Lennie called, save for a handful of cheerios that morning. Ed was a really awful nutritional influence, she realized. Always distracting her from eating. "Lunch?"

* * *

"Yeah." Ed turned to his partner. "Do you wanna join us?"

"No thank you," Lennie answered quickly, motoring after Lieu.

Ed smiled at Cha-Cha. "Just you and me then. Where do you feel like going?"

* * *

"Good," Cha-Cha said quietly after Lennie had left, a small grin meeting her lips. Not that lunch with Lennie wouldn't be lovely. Really. She just wanted to be with her man right then. Shrugging, "I'm honestly not too picky right now. Be nice to get some caffiene in me," she admitted. As happy as she was, she'd like a pick up. At the moment she was only slightly more hyper than the average person, and she needed to turn that up a couple dozen notches.

* * *

How she could go from crying to bouncing around was beyond him. He felt drained, but had a feeling she'd rub off on him after a while.

It felt strange holding her hand on the way out. He knew it was only a matter of time before the IA agents mentioned their relationship to the wrong person. Not to mention another thing Cha-Cha may not have thought of... "Is there anyone you haven't mentioned our relationship to?" he asked, opening the car door for her.

* * *

"Like who?" Cha-Cha asked as she climbed in. Maybe her parents, but it wouldn't exactly surprise them. Their bleach blonde Miss Flawless-winner son was dating a man? What? Crazy talk. Her girls knew. They didn't know about this new development, but they knew about their relationship. That was what he asked.

* * *

"Like anyone who reads the paper." Ed had been in the newspaper several times, normally praised for quick thinking and being able to track down a tricky killer. Now he'd be in the middle of some crazy story that people would read, laugh about for a minute, then toss away. _Hey, did you hear about that gay cop who got caught up in a mess with two drag queens?_

That was something to look forward to.

* * *

Cha-Cha paused. "You think this will be in there?" she asked slowly. Their relationship, that was no problem to put up there. But she hadn't told...quite a few people about this problem. As in no one. Her parents...well, her dad would be freaked out, but she could deal with him. Javier would flip too, but he'd understand once he read the whole story. As for her girls though...already they hadn't met Ed, and she knew they wouldn't understand the whole picture. Not Ivana and Grace. Rusty might be able to, but how easy would it be for her to deal with? She was already iffy on Ed due to their sneaking around. Cha-Cha had always thought when they met him, they'd think differently. But since Starr was involved too...what would they think?

Cha-Cha bit her lip hard, staring straight ahead. "There may be a few people that do that," she said finally. Grace and Ivana not being included, but they'd hear it from Rusty.

* * *

"I don't _know_ that it will, but I definitely _think_ it'll be mentioned. Hopefully a small paragraph in the back. However, whenever the beloved police might be in the wrong..." People wanted to hear about it. "I don't know if you're name will be mentioned, but mine probably will. Starr will probably be referred to as Adam." He paused. "I've never called her Adam before." It sounded strange.

* * *

"Then I'll probably be Alejandro, right?" Cha-Cha asked hopefully. That would work. Maybe her girls would forget that was ger real name; it wasn't like she went by it too often. Plus, you could say it was a sort of common name. Two people using it wouldn't be that unimaginable. Cha-Cha de los Santos Perez Cueva might raise some eyebrows. As for Ed being mentioned...well...

* * *

"I didn't call you that around anyone, and no one asked. Lennie and Lieu don't know...did you talk to anyone else? Because otherwise it'll be Cha-Cha or 'drag queen'," he said apologetically. Trying to be optimistic he said, "Or you know maybe nothing at all...if we're lucky...And things seem to be going our way so far. But in case it is I wanted to give you a heads up if there's anyone you'd rather tell yourself."

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, resting her head against the back of the seat. "Well...here's the thing. My girls know about us, but they don't know about this, and..." how to say this? She didn't want to hurt him. "They're not really sure what to think...just cause they haven't met you. And cause of the sneaking around," she bit her lip harder.

* * *

As long as she'd been willing, he hadn't worried about it. He wanted her friends to like him as much as Cha-Cha wanted Lennie and Lieu to like her, but the bottom line was that if he had his girl, he was happy. Friends approval was an added bonus. "Do you want me to talk to Jack about it? Make sure at least the lawyers aren't talking?" Reporters had strange ways of getting information, but it'd at least make it more difficult.

* * *

"Maybe but...I mean, they already know I'm dating a detective named Ed Green," Cha-Cha admitted, sighing. Even if her name wasn;t in it, her girls weren't stupid. "So either way...do you want to talk about this later on?" she asked quietly. One way or another her girls were going to find out and they were not going to be pleased. At the moment though, she wanted to focus on the positives. Ed was innocent and everyone knew that. Couldn't they be happy about that for awhile?

* * *

"If you'd rather." Ed spotted a restaurant known for having great food. A nice, well known little place. Much better than some random shop around the corner you never knew was there. What did it matter now? It would be a nice change to not request a corner. Just land wherever. "Is there okay?" he asked.

* * *

"Sure," she nodded, undoing her seatbelt. She'd never been there before, but she was sure it was fine. Besides, she wasn't that concerned by what they were eating. She just wanted to sit with him, and relax for the first time in three weeks. "How are you feeling?" she asked as they walked in, taking his hand.

* * *

"Like nine years of effort just flew out the window," he answered honestly. But if it had to happen, being with her was one of the best times. She didn't look like she was panicking and about to split. Some probably would. "But we'll talk about it later, okay?" He let go of her hand to take her waist instead. Walking into a restaurant like that was...feeling so...weird. But a nice kind of weird.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, getting close to him as best as they could while walking. Not easy, but worth the effort. Nine years weren't wasted, not when he was going to get his job back. Not when Starr was going to be alright. Not wasted. It was just...a complication. She wasn't sure what else to talk to him about, if both of them wanted to avoid the more difficult stuff.

* * *

They were lead to a table, and Ed sat across from her like anyone normally would. He grabbed a menu and looked over it, glancing at her every few seconds. He felt incredibly foolish for asking her this. Especially since they'd already sat down. "Cha-Cha…" he started awkwardly. "Would you mind if we got it to go and went home?" If she wanted to stay and enjoy them eating in an actually popular place he'd understand. She'd only been waiting _nine months_ for the day it wouldn't matter. Ed was just feeling needy and wanted to be next to her, no table between them.

* * *

Cha-Cha put the menu down, abandoning the 'ceasar salad or club sandwhich' war in her head. "Are you okay?" she asked softly. They'd just got there. Unless...it was a fairly busy place. But she'd thought they were done with hiding. He'd kissed her infront of everyone, who was left to hide it from?

* * *

"I'm fine, just tired," he explained. It didn't have to do with the foot traffic of the place. The habit was going to be hard to break, but he knew it was pointless to hide now. She looked a little disappointed. Ever the pushover, he offered to stay. Resting could be done later, after all.

* * *

She could understand that. He had been through alot in the past two hours. They both had. "We can go if you want to," she assured him. Some other time they'd go out , and she'd hold him to that. But she understand wanting to be home. She wouldn't really mind it, either.

* * *

His adrenaline from panicking over Starr was dwindling. He wanted to tell her she could choose, but... "I think I'd like to head home..." With food, of course. He was still starving. But lying at home on the couch while eating seemed more appealing than trying to eat politely sitting up.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, mentally deciding on the salad and closing the menu. They could do that. It would be nicer to sit with him anyway, just work on making each other feel better. Maybe sleep in a little while. Later on. After they'd celebrated a little.

* * *

Ed apologized for being a boring little rain cloud. Soon he ordered, asked for it to go, and was paying. He handed the credit card over while trying not to frown. That stupid thing was what had lead them to Starr. He'd be a cash carrier for a few months after this. Yes. He would hold a grudge against plastic.

* * *

"Once we're home you'll feel better," Cha-Cha assured him. Picking up her salad, she began standing up. She took his hand as they walked out, not worrying about anyone who saw. Tht felt nice, she had to say. Something everybody took for granted, it really felt nice after nine months.

* * *

Ed agreed. "We'll go out for dinner," he offered as a compromise. Walking from the restaurant to the car, the car to their building, he hardly let go. Through all the craziness she was still there. He could touch her in public. Hold and kiss her whenever and wherever he wanted. He thought for a moment, it's like college again, but then realized...it was better. Because before there was no limitations to who can be by who where. No hoops to jump through to keep Ed's secret. Smooth sailing. Yes it was similar to then now, but Cha-Cha had proved she could handle it when things got rocky. She'd been willing to go through so many months of that to be rewarded with a new free for all style.

* * *

There was another man on the elevator, and Cha-Cha kissed Ed right there. Just because she could. Even with the stare they were getting, she knew he wouldn't push her away. "You're amazing," she mumbled softly.

* * *

"You're the amazing one," he chuckled. "I mess everything up." Ed waved at the unknown man jokingly as they got off and headed for their apartment. "You can't leave me unsupervised anymore."

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed out loud, keeping close to him as they headed to their apartment. "I will gladly look after you all day, every day. Go to work with you and ake sure you don't mess up. Or you can just stay home with me," she teased, kissing him again. As many mistakes as he'd made, she couldn't stop herself from loving him. Amazing.

* * *

"I don't know if I want you to come to work with me," he smiled, unlocking the door. "Lennie might steal you away with that charm of his." Wouldn't that be an interesting scenario. Lennie was great with women, but he had a feeling even he would be tongue tied around Cha-Cha.

* * *

Cha-Cha snorted, a prelude to a gigglefit. "Lennie? Well I do like the older men," she teased. "But I don't think Lennie likes the men. Period. Not that I can't convert just about anybody, but you know. I'll keep the detective I got," she decided. Till she met a cuter one, anyway. Which...she was beginning to think would be never.

* * *

"The detective you've got is happy with that." Closing the door behind them, he said, "But besides the Lennie being straight barrier, I think he has age limits he follows. Unlike me," he teased. "Cradle robber til the end." He moved to the kitchen to get a drink. His next target would be the couch.

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned. The most direct way to Cha-Cha's heart was to imply she was young. Following him into the kitchen, she sat on the counter and watched him. Short skirt. "I missed this," she admitted, serious underneath her smile. It had been way too long since they'd been able to fool around like this. Completely carefree, totally in love.

* * *

Oh. Temptation. Maybe sitting in a kitchen chair and staring at her would beat lounging on the couch? Probably. But now he couldn't get his drink. He had to wander over. "Me too," he agreed, putting a hand on each of her knees. "But why do you do this to me every time I'm starving? It's just not fair." He gave her a playful squeeze.

* * *

"Do what, baby? I have no clue what you're talking about," Cha-Cha replied innocently. Uncrossing her legs she switched them, foot brushing his leg in the process. She still had her heels on, but they'd be gone soon. They were getting uncomfortable. So were the tights. It would probably be the smartest idea to just take them both off. Just in case.

* * *

The innocent look always meant she was up to something. Hmm, if she looked guilty was she actually innocent? He let go as she rearranged her legs. "Mmm, I'm sure you don't." It gave him a reason to walk back to the fridge for his drink.

* * *

"Am I bothering you, Eddie?" Cha-Cha asked, unable to conceal a grin. She loved getting under his skin like that. Even though he probably found her annoying sometimes, it was worth it to watch him get all hot and bothered.

* * *

He shot her a _of course you are_ look as he grabbed a coke. Sitting in a chair, keeping her in view, he got his food out of the bag. As he picked up a fry, he decided he could be just as annoying. "Could you cross your legs the way you had it before? I liked the right being on top." He smiled politely and expectantly.

* * *

Cha-Cha rose her eyebrow. "Picky, picky. Sorry, it's asleep now, can't move it," she faltered, a smirk appearing on her lips. She needed to eat her salad, she was starving. But this was too much fun. Besides, why eat then when she could wait, and make him wait to do anything fun with her? She was mean like that.

* * *

To Ed that was a challenge. Getting up with a grin he walked back to her. His hands lightly skimmed over her legs. "I asked nicely," he said smoothly. "But I don't mind having to do it myself." His fingers gripped her thighs gently.

* * *

"That's so kind of you," Cha-Cha replied softly, biting the corner of her lip. Or they could just do this. This was good too. Not that she was about to make it easy on him. She forced her legs to stay in their position with all her might. "What if I'm comfortable this way?"

* * *

"I don't care, I want it the other way." His tone made it obvious he was joking, but he still kept up the stance of a determined man for the moment. Kept eye contact. Trying to stare her down? Maybe. If he won that'd be a nice first. He gave an alternative. "Switch, or join me at the table." Both could get eating out of the way. He still hadn't gotten to lay down and rest, but she could at least lay with him, right? ...Somehow quiet time seemed to be the last thing on her mind.

* * *

Cha-Ch grinned through her bitten lip, her foot swinging. "Make me," she challenge, determined to keep her legs the way they were. Or try, anyway. Ed was a whole lot stronger than her. She was in the perfect position to wrap her legs around his waist instead, but she waited to see what he'd do.

* * *

Spreading her legs apart would be all too easy, and the thought made him laugh slightly. But he had an even easier solution. "Fine." His hands zeroed in on her left side. She wouldn't be able to concentrate on her legs if she were fighting him off there.

* * *

Why did he have to find out about that? "Oh, Ed _don't_," she whined, trying to hide a grin. Before long she was giggling, trying to squirm away from his hands. She should have never let on. Then again, he would've found it either way, wouldn't he? He was a bugger sometimes. "What do you want?" she asked finally through a giggle fit.

* * *

"I want you to stop distracting me every time I try to eat," he lied with a laugh. He didn't mind, but his stomach did. His fingers paused for a moment. "Will you _please_ come and sit next to me so we can get lunch out of the way?" He half expected her to say _No, I'm going to eat it here_ just because that was something she would do. Stubborn.

* * *

"Why should we get it out of the way? I don't know what you're expecting after lunch, Ed," the things she was dying to give him maybe? Most likely. Maybe she'd just changed her mind about that though!...probably not. But still, "You're being awful demanding though and I may not act until I get a very nice apology." And no more tickling, please. That was mean. He abused that.

* * *

"Why should I apologize? You started it." If she hadn't sat on the-oh this was ridiculous. How old were they, ten? Well, maybe she was. To sound as uninterested about after lunch as her, he said, "I need to lie down for a bit, but I won't be able to sleep if I'm hungry."

* * *

"I was provoked!" Cha-Cha exclaimed. "You wanted to make me mess myself up when I was so comfortable. And _then_, you abused the stomach even though I specifically told you not to," she pointed out, covering her left side with her hands. If she knew his sensitive spot, she wouldn't abuse it. She'd be nice. Most of the time.

* * *

Ed quickly searched for an excuse. "I thought you meant I couldn't go for that _all the time_. I didn't realize you meant _ever again_." He kissed her nose. "But you know, you take advantage of my love for your legs _daily_. So really, look who's talking." She knew if she wore a short skirt he'd do whatever she wanted. Was that fair?

* * *

"Are you calling me a hypocrite, Ed Green?" Cha-Cha asked with raised eyebrows. Cha-Cha could be a first-class hypocrite. He didn't have to know that yet. "Fine. I will never show you my legs again ever. I'll go into the other room and find some pants. Some things will be hard to do without legs but you know, if that's your decision..." it was fun when he couldn't beat her too well.

* * *

Ed gripped the counter on either side of her. She wasn't going anywhere unless it was his idea. "That's not what I meant," he laughed. With a sigh, he tilted his head to the side. "I'll love you _forever_ if you let me eat lunch with you for ten minutes. Deal?"

* * *

"And not otherwise?" Cha-Cha asked with wide eyes, unable to hide her grin. Touching his cheeks gently, she leaned in to kiss him softly. Alright, fine, this once. "Ten minutes. Then you're all mine," she told him. He could win sometimes. Just sometimes. And that was really her being generous.

* * *

He took her hands in his to help her off the counter. "What about me wanting to come home to relax?" Take a nap, lounge around... Unless she was offering to just lay around with him. But normally 'all mine' meant something a little different. He knew they'd really slept in today, but they'd been busy the night before. Starr, crying, making up. Then this afternoon rolled around to include yet again Starr, crying, and...well before they got to the third thing he thought a nap may be called for. He was winding down. Of course, he wasn't really going to put up a fight.

* * *

"You will, baby, don't worry," Cha-Cha assured him. She wouldn't mind getting some sleep herself. Eventually. At the moment she was awake, not as active as she usually was, but not dead beat, either. Letting go of his hands gently, she went to start a pot of coffee. Neither of them had gotten it tht morning, and she knew it was affecting her for one.

* * *

Ed sat at the table again, watching and waiting. "So what are we gonna do for another week?" he asked with a chuckle. "It feels like I've been home for a year." He'd never had to go a month without working. How was he going to wake up again? For at least two weeks he refused to get up out of bed until at least eleven to avoid questions from Cha-Cha. He'd at lunch and then go back to the bed or couch to watch tv to keep the quiet away. Up at six again? Gross.

* * *

"I'm sure we'll think of some things," Cha-Cha smirked, taking her salad out as the coffee made. It had been a long time since they'd both been home and on good terms. Lately they might as well have been living seperately again. Now that could change, though, right? She wasn't mad at him.Pouring two mugs, she brought them to the table and started on her salad.

* * *

He nodded. He recognized that smirk. But they couldn't sleep together 24/7 for a week. Right?

"We can go out now, anywhere you want," Ed started. "Anything you'd like to try?"

* * *

"Anything?" Cha-Cha thought about it. Did he just mean resturaunts, or literally anything? The sky was the limit. They could go shopping together (even if Lennie did say Ed hated it, that would have to change). See movies together, even just take walks through the city and seeing where they ended up. With him, he could figure out the subway and all that, it would be easy. "Nowhere in particular. Whatever we feel like doing."

* * *

He smiled. "Good to know I haven't been keeping you from someplace you were dying to go." Ed ate quickly, both wanting to finish and because he was very hungry. "Would you feel like meeting a friend or two? And yes, even though you haven't seen one yet, I do have friends."

* * *

"Aw, Ed, I know you have friends. It's just nice to know they're not imaginary," Cha-Cha giggled, taking a bite of salad. He was a fast eater. She could be too, but not with salad. Too cold to just inhale it. "I'd like that," she agreed. She didn't mention her own friends this time. Honestly, she didn't want to think about it.

* * *

"I knew you'd say something like that," he said, rolling his eyes. But at least she sounded interested. "Good, it'll be fun. Most of them have heard about you. If they haven't, they...will...soon..." Oh yeah. He'd forgotten about that. "But like I said, I don't think your name will actually...be mentioned..." Did now count at the 'we'll talk about it later' time or was she not ready for that still?

* * *

"Good things, I hope," Cha-Ch got in. Sighing, she nodded her head. "I hope not. But even still...my girls know I'm dating you. When they find out about it..." she wasn't sure how to say this. "Judgements might be made," she bit her lip. They'd never met the guy, now he'd killed someone? That wouldn't look good on anyone. But once they met him, they'd see how amazing he was. They'd have to.

* * *

"Any chance they'll miss it?" Did they actually read the papers regularly? He couldn't remember ever seeing Cha-Cha read one... "I have to admit I was hoping to make a better first impression." Anything aside from killing someone seemed perfect. "On a happier note, on my end you sound perfect," Ed offered, hoping to make her feel a little better. "And there's really no one the paper will surpri-oh...oh..." he groaned, realizing something.

* * *

"Maybe not. Ivana and Grace wouldn't, Rusty might. But...fingers crossed," she bit her lip, holding the crossed digits up and knocking on the wood table. She wasn't all that superstisious, but if it would help at all... "What, what?" Cha-Cha asked, her forehead wrinkling. More bad news? Lay it on the pile.

* * *

This whole ordeal was making him see that he needed to get into the habit of telling everyone everything promptly. Well, maybe not every little detail, but major things. For instance, the fact he was seeing someone. "I didn't exactly get around to mentioning you to mom and dad." There was a chance this would never get publicized. Maybe no reporter cared how a gambler died? Right? Maybe?

* * *

"Oh," Cha-Ch pressed her lips together, trying to think. "Well...but they don't live in the city, right? Maybe it won't have to get to them. They wouldn't, like...call your parents, would they?" she asked with a slightly nervous laugh. He was thirty eight, not eighteen. Why was what he did any of their business? Besides the whole birthing and raising him thing.

* * *

"They live in Virginia. I doubt this thing will get that far." Then again, always internet. A gay cop couldn't warrant national news, right? They have better stuff to write about. "I should probably call them though. I didn't go down for Christmas or Easter." He'd preferred to stay up here with her.

* * *

"When's the last time you talked to them?" Cha-Cha asked. Granted, she hadn't seen her mother in awhile either, and they definitely didn't call each other up for girl talk. But her dad usually checked up on her every couple weeks. At least a call every month...or every other month. It depended.

* * *

He hadn't called recently at all. "Around January." Happy new year, guys. Love you too mom, bye. No time for them to ask if he had a boyfriend, no time for him to bring it up. His dad couldn't repeat how disappointed he was in him and mom couldn't ask him to move home again. And...Ed really didn't want another explosion involving his girlfriend.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded her head. They really weren't close, were they? Her father, for all his faults, would flip if he didn't hear from her for five months. That was almost half a year. Mothey, yes. Father, he'd never stand for it. "Maybe they won't find out either," she decided, her voice hopeful. Who was really going to tell them? "But...supposing they do...what would happen, doyou think?" she added, almost afriad to ask. His father sounded like a real...piece of work. She still didn't know the full story about Starr and Ed's father, only the lightened version he'd told her. That couldn't have been easy on either of them.

* * *

"Well even if they don't, I should tell them soon anyway. I mean, how long's it been? The longer I wait the more insulted they'll be." Or they'll say they were. He knew they'd actually rather not know what he was up to. "I'm living with someone they've never heard of? At least mom would like to know."

What would happen? What _wouldn't_ happen was the better question. "I don't want you to be nervous if-when...if you meet them." Maybe advanced warning would be good? "But dad will start yelling. Mom will cry and tell him to back off. He won't. If it's in person and you're there my mom will probably ask if you would mind taking a breather outside for minute while we talk, but you and the neighbors will probably hear _anyway_...then we'll leave in a huff. If over the phone, dad will shout until I hang up on him."

* * *

Cha-Cha definitely had it better. For once she felt lucky to have the parents she had. When he met hers, the worst he'd have to look forward to was her mom's cold shoulder. Otherwise, he'd probably be treated pretty well. It was awkward to try and kiss him from across the table, and she settled for resting her foot against his. "Does it bother you?" she asked before she could stop herself, and ended up kicking herself. Of course it bothered him.

* * *

"Yeah, but, what can ya do?" he shrugged. Could be worse. Mom could hate him too. "I'm sorta used to it though. They normally don't get too bad. Dad'll just ignore whoever I bring home for the most part. Only really went crazy when it was Starr..." Even still, a small smirk appeared. That expression had been worth the screaming match. Starr was beautiful now; ten years ago she was...gorgeous, and so convincing. It was almost like Ed had finally gotten back at his dad, if only a little bit, by tricking him, and without having to actually do anything.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed softly, watching him. She could tell who he was thinking about. Even though she didn't dislike Starr, she wasn't sure she liked the look that came over Ed's face when he thought of her. Cha-Cha could never pass in front of his dad, or anyone who wasn't drunk off their heads. In her defense, she wasn't exactly trying for the 'natural' look, despite how much she'd love to pass for a natural blond. Even the clothes she wore were more out there than your average woman's wear. More revealing, more glittery, more bright. "She _is_ beautiful," she agreed, trying to make it sound like just another comment in the conversation.

* * *

Caught. Awkward. He couldn't be doing that anymore. "Yeah, well..." Ed felt bad and didn't know what to say. He glanced around for inspiration and came up empty. "My girl now is pretty stunning." Pause. "And, hey, just so you know, Starr never crossed my mind til all this stuff started happening. Honestly. And now with the dad thing, that was a memorable afternoon..." He had been smiling about the situation, not necessarily her.

* * *

"I know, hon," Sort of. She believed him when he told her, anyway. Mostly. It was hard to do when he smiled like that, but...she could trust him, right? Though honestly, Starr being Ed's ex wasn't the only reason it made her uncomfortable. She always felt nervous around drag queens who she knew were prettier. She was Miss Flawless. They weren't supposed to exist.

* * *

She didn't look very impressed. Okay, well, jumping up and down to go to jail for someone else wasn't really the best way to say I love you, was it?

"Are you sure?" he asked. The man hated for there to be any doubt. He was more than willing to prove she was the only one he wanted if he could figure out how. Ed opened an arm for her to see if she would come to him or if he'd sent her walls up.

* * *

Cha-Cha looked up at him. "Pretty much," she replied honestly. Mostly, but not totally. She considered his arm for a moment before sighing, standing to move into his arm. One thing she knew for sure; she was powerless to resist that. "Almost," she said again, placing herself in his lap.

* * *

Ed kissed her cheek. "I love you," he promised. "More than anyone. And if you need to hear it out loud, more than Starr. You're beautiful and fun and nice and witty and a million other things that will take too long to list. You didn't leave when I messed up or things got rocky or I had too many rules, unlike some people," hint hint. "That means a lot." Sadly his relationships didn't make it more than a few months before the person got fed up. Here they were only three months shy of a year. "I love you and only you, and I want you and only you."

* * *

It took alot to make Cha-Cha blush, but he was ridiculously good at it. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned down to kiss him softly. "I love you too," she replied, touching his cheek gently. "If it were anybody else, I wouldn't have stayed," she admitted. But Ed had a way with her that no one else really did.

* * *

"I feel special," he chuckled. She was adorable when she blushed. "And another thing," Ed added to his list, "you can turn just the right shade of pink." He gave her a light squeeze around her middle. He thought he really didn't deserve her. She let him get away with too many blunders. He should have been dumped weeks ago. Glad he hadn't been of course. Ed appreciated how forgiving she could be. "Speaking of wanting you..." a hand skimmed lightly over her legs.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, kissing him again. She'd never seen herself blush before. She'd have to take his word for it. While Cha-Cha was usually all for teasing him mercilessly, she couldn't get into it. She knew he loved her, but at the same time...she needed that reassurance. Later on she'd tease him, there would be plenty of time late. Right then and there, it seemed better to get to the point. "Tell me about it," she mumbled, kissing his neck softly and moving his hand onto her leg.

* * *

Ed's other hand brought her face up so he could kiss her. He wanted in on the fun too. Plus she'd been allowed to do whatever she wanted last night, wasn't it his turn? His hand rubbed her leg, moving higher and higher until his fingertips just passed her short skirt. They'd been in the middle of a conversation, and though his mouth would rather do anything that talk at the moment, he wanted to get it out before they got off track. Even more off track. "Before I forget," he started, voice already getting breathy. "I was thinking...about maybe..." she was so distracting... "using a day or two this week...to go south..." He wanted to get away from the city and everyone in it. If his name and story were in the paper and he were home, he'd read it. And he didn't really want to know what it said. He also thought he owed his mother a visit. Especially since news traveled fast with the internet. At least Ed could explain it in person.

* * *

Cha-Cha tried to stop kissing him for a moment to let him speak. He made it very difficult. She ended up with her mouth against his neck again, leaving his free to talk. Finally she pulled away, thinking about it. The south? Oh, parents. Right. "And leave me all alone in rat-infested New York?" she teased, kissing his cheek quickly before trying to calm down.

* * *

"You could come," he offered. "If you're up for a challenge. If you'd rather stay here, I understand." Oh, idea. "You could always stay with Lennie, rats are afraid of him." Ha. Ed was sure his partner would absolutely _love_ to have her over. Or he could drop her off for a weekend with Rusty?

The scary thing was, Ed realized, that if he acted as if he sincerely needed her to stay with Lennie, the man would probably agree. Reluctantly, but partners through thick and thin.

* * *

She could come. But if it was as bad as he said... "Well, Lennie's out. He might fall hopelessly in love with me," she pointed out, a smirk crossing her features. "I'd probably drive Rusty insane for a whole weekend. Well, maybe not just me, but you know Ivana and Grace would tag along and it'd be a weekend sleepover. Which would be _so_ fun, but..." but then he'd have to deal with screaming parents. Not so fun for him. "Do you want me to come with you?

* * *

"I don't wanna just leave you here alone..." Yes, she was a big girl, she could take care of herself. But still. He wanted her with him. "I wouldn't mind if you came..." Alright, he wanted her to come. But he wouldn't _make_ her come, knowing what was in store for them. "I'm not even sure it'll happen, I gotta call and see if they'll be home. If they will be there though, it would be nice to have backup," he said, laughing a little. "You know what they're like, it's up to you if you wanna come."

* * *

"I'd go for you," Cha-Cha told him, shifting a bit in his lap. She was subjecting herself to verbal abuse for him, but she wanted to be in his corner. A selfless thing done by Cha-Cha? He was different. "Only if you don't think it will make things worse. They're not gonna like me," she pointed out, a small grin meeting her lips.

* * *

"They don't like me either," he said, laughing a little more. Ed kissed her jaw and neck, attempting to keep the mood at least a little like it'd been. "If we happened to get there when my dad wasn't there, and it was just my mom...might be able to win her over a little." He thought the idea over a little, absently planting a few more kisses on her. "Have we had enough excitement this week? We could always wait for the next holiday." It was May. He got Memorial Day off at the end of the month. Or there was fourth of July...nice good distance away.

* * *

"Then she could work on your dad?" Cha-Cha asked hopefully. Some parents were lost causes, she knew. She knew all too well. She tilted her head for his kisses, that smirk returning to her lips. "Maybe at the end of the month. A whole week at home with you doesn't sound so bad..." she grinned, adjusting herself on his lap so she was closer to him. It would be a very good week. Tiring, but good. "Unless you think chances would be better to catch your mum alone this week."

* * *

"I'll call and see what they're up to." What would get his dad out of the house...? "I could be a jerk and pretend to give a peace offering. Send him on some vacation and then show up to see mom." Ed rested his chin on her shoulder, thinking again. Both hands were absently playing with her skirt. "Forget to mention it was a one way ticket..." he mumbled. One could dream.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled, turning her head to kiss his forehead. "That would be mean. Funny but mean. Why would he go without your mom though? You wouldn't go to...Hawaii or something without me. Either you'd take me with or I'd hide in your suitcase," it was that simple. That or he'd come home to a very angry Cha-Cha.

* * *

"True, true...he probably wouldn't leave her. There goes that idea." How to separate the two. "Well she could leave without him. I wouldn't go anywhere without you, but if you wanted a weekend to yourself I'd let you go. Doubt I'd have a choice in the matter." For some reason it made sense to some women that they were allowed solo vacations, but men weren't.

* * *

"Ooh! Does that mean we're all going to Hawaii?? We should do that!" Cha-Cha exclaimed, her legs crossed and her foot swinging. Break the news then go sun tanning. What could be better? "Um...the...light-hearted atmosphere might help her take the news better. That's why."

* * *

The things he got himself into... He had to have the willpower to say no to her about this, right? He hadn't exactly imagined it being Hawaii that he'd be meeting his mother in. "But it's so hot in Hawaii," he complained. "And such a long flight."

* * *

"Oh, whine whine whine. Where then? It would be hot anywhere," she added with a slight smirk. Taking his hand, she placed it higher up on her leg, returning her mouth to his neck. Yes, she was trying to change his mind and make him see her way. Yes, she was definitely shameless.

* * *

"Excuse me," he chuckled, "but how did my mother getting a vacation turn into _you_ getting a vacation?" How assuming of her. But cute. And if she didn't get one this time, he had a feeling she'd be crying for one until he gave in.

* * *

"Cause if we send her on one, we gotta be there too so we can tell her. Otherwise we're stuck with your papi in the south and I don't think either of us want that," Cha-Cha pointed out. If they had to go to a sunny, warm destination for their plan to work, well...that was just a sacrifice they had to make.

* * *

"How do you know I wasn't planning on just flying her up here to stay with us?" Aha. The old mother-in-law visit. Only...slightly different, because they weren't married. So she wouldn't really be a mother-in-law. But would it still get the same panicked reaction that happens in movies?

* * *

"...But you teased me with a vacation," Cha-Cha's features twisted into a slight pout. That wasn't nice. Besides... "You don't mean to stay with us, do you? She can't stay with here," she told him with wide eyes. That would require her to actually _clean up_. She was already giving his apartment that lived in look (to put it nicely). Plus, how would she have to dress?? Cha-Cha wasn't a conservative person.

* * *

Ed smiled smugly at her response. So girls really did react like that. He had to tease her now, if it were reversed no doubt she would. "But _honey_," he began, overly pleading, "why not? It'd be _fun_

."

* * *

"But then we'd have to be good! We couldn't do this," she pointed out, leaning in to kiss his neck. Get his mind on something more fun. No way was she housing his mother, especially not when she was going to hate their relationship. What would the point of that be? She moved in with him to be able to kiss him anywhere. Even if it were just for the weekend...

* * *

"Okay, okay, you win, she isn't coming here." He laughed and tried to continue without disturbing her. "I was only kidding, anyway. But I take it you don't want her to come to New York. We have to go meet her somewhere?" It would be nice to get out of the city without actually going home to see his dad. "Could you pick something between Virginia and New York? Or at least this side of the country?"

* * *

"Oh, I don't _know_, Ed. There's nowhere good around here," she sighed, thinking about it. There was...New Jersey, and...New Jersey. Nothing against it, but what was so special about New Jersey? "I have no idea. Can't she stay in a hotel or something?"

* * *

"I said I was only kidding about her staying with us," he said, bringing his hands up to hug her middle. "If you really want to leave, we can be the ones in the hotel and go down to her. Or we can all meet in...not Hawaii." Not that he had anything against nice weather, but it was just so far away.

* * *

"Where then? We should go away together. I;m not kidding about the anniversary, baby. You owe me," she pointed out. Six months of her staying despite at all. That had to be worth something. Of course, she wanted to stay, but he didn't exactly make it easy sometimes.

* * *

"You never once mentioned anniversaries, how was I supposed to know?" He playfully narrowed his eyes. "You were planning this, weren't you?" Keep quiet for a few months, then all of a sudden he was up to his eyeballs in anniversary debt. "And besides, _ann_iversaries are normally supposed to be _ann_ual. So you've got three months to wait."

* * *

"People have six month anniversaries! It's possible! Besides, I've never had an anniversary before," Cha-Cha whined, running a hand down his chest. Well, it was true. Unless you counted a day as a suitable time period...which sometimes, it was. It wasn't uncommon for Cha-Cha to have week-long relationships. "Don't you want to devirginize me of that?"

* * *

His ears perked up at devirginize. It may not have been a real word, but he was game. "Well when you put it that way..." She was definitely deserving of one. "Can we do an anniversary vacation that just happens to involve meeting my mother? Because I'd rather she find out about you through me than...any other way." He almost said through internet, but if that hadn't crossed Cha-Cha's mind, he wouldn't mention it.

* * *

"I know, her reading it in the newspaper would be bad. But hopefully it won't reach her. Is there anybody else who could find out and tell her? What about your sister?" Cha-Cha thought out loud.

* * *

"No, if you don't tell her she'll never know." His sister was oblivious to news like that. Huh. How bout that. "I didn't even think about her telling mom." He wondered what she would do if she met Cha-Cha. "Maybe we should visit her..." Hell, just call everyone and throw a party. This is my girlfriend, like it or not she's staying, have some chips.

* * *

"What's she like?" Cha-Cha asked. She wondered how many people were in Ed's family. Trying to introduce him to her family...that would be a nightmare. Her extended family was huge, and only about five percent knew what little Alejandro had grown up to be. The other nintey five would throw a fit. That would be bad enough. To throw a boyfriend into the mix? And for some of her relatives, a black boyfriend? Cha-Cha...didn't even want to think about it.

* * *

"She's...as close to an only child spoiled brat as one with siblings can get." He shifted around a bit. He'd never sat in a kitchen chair with her this long before. It was definitely not made for cuddling. "Well, that's not fair. She's nice and all. But becoming the favorite kinda went to her head."

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded her head. Well, she wasn't the favourite either. She was a girl, though. Maybe they could bond that way. "Would she like me?" she asked hopefully. If Ed had some open-minded relatives they could get in their corner, that would be brilliant. Then they could stage a father-intervention. Maybe get her mother involved too. It was worth a shot.

* * *

"It's hard to answer that, because I can't imagine anyone not loving you instantly. But uh..." he thought about it. Came up empty. "I honestly don't know. Probably. She never had a problem with any of the men I've brought home, I can't think of a reason why she wouldn't like you. Well..." A silly reason, but, "She's older than me. You two might be around twenty years apart."

* * *

"There are a ton of people. You were probably one," Cha-Cha giggled, pushing on his chest gently. Not that she didn't love to hear him say it. "Fourty year old women. I'm good with the men but I haven't been around many women that age. Here's hoping?" she bit her lip.

* * *

"I don't think it'd make her like you any less. She'll probably just be annoyed with me. Say I shouldn't go under thirty or something." But he just couldn't help himself. And really, he wasn't _that_ much older. And Cha-Cha had started it! And...and...he'd think of more excuses later.

Oh, and he loved her math. Twenty years older than Cha-Cha made her forty? Sometimes he wondered if she'd even given him a real age. Did anyone actually know?

"Or you know, we don't have to do any of this. You and I could fly to some beach to be away from the newsstands. If my family finds out, they find out. It's now your anniversary trip, whatever you feel comfortable doing."

* * *

"Well...that's her. I love my gentleman," Cha-Cha grinned, kissing his cheek softly. He wasn't that much older than her. If she were thirty she'd have a heart attack. Cha-Cha wasn't ever going to be thirty. That's what she told herself in order to get to sleep at night. Visions of fourtieth birthdays didn't even get touched with a ten foot pole. Raising an eyebrow, she couldn't fight a grin. "Are you sure you wanna do that lover? I will gladly take the reigns," and she would _run_ with them, "but you know...think about what you're doin."

* * *

"I'm absolutely terrified of what you'll come up with," he admitted. "But after the past week or two I definitely owe you." Apparently bribes may work on her. Good to know. "Hey, if I told you that you had to pay for it, how drastically would your plans change?"

* * *

Cha-Cha paused. "You wouldn't say that though, because that would be mean. Like you said, you owe me," Cha-Cha pointed out, kissing the skin just under his ear gently. Two weeks of walking on eggshells, then he made her pay for their fantastic anniversary? That may be enough to make her walk.

* * *

"I know, I'll handle it..." His eyes closed automatically as his head tilted to the side, giving her better access. Did she think he was made of money? Alright, so maybe he was a bit better off than you're average detective. New Yorker. Person? Credit wasn't his. Thank you parents. His father was an engineer. Involving oil. Enough said. While his mother and father didn't look the part at all, they were doing very well. If his father had his way his son would be out of luck, but his mother thought a few generous checks might be able to make up for the lack of love and bonding between them.

* * *

Cha-Cha smirked at his reaction. "Thought I could change your mind," she mumbled. Ed Green wasn't hard to win over. A few kisses and he was in the palm of her hand. Shifting up to be closer to him, she travelled a little lower on his neck, her hands moving up his chest.

* * *

"One day...I'll stand my ground," he said. "Maybe...eventually..." But if this was what he got out of letting her take control...he could live with it. But she really was spoiled, and he had no one to blame but himself. If he hadn't let on so early that a pout was all it took... "What about Flordia, it's like a really close Hawaii." That wasn't tropical. Or an island. Well it was sort of tropical, they had palm trees. And strange animals. Hey look it was Hawaii.

But a happy Cha-Cha meant a happy home and a happy Ed. The only thing killing the mood was the uncomfortable kitchen chair, which only he could feel.

* * *

"Like Disney World?" Cha-Cha asked excitedly. Yes, that was the first connection she made. She was a princess in her own mind. What else was even in Forida anyway though? Besides...retired people. Disney World more than made up for that though. "Can we really go there??"

* * *

"Every kid needs to go at least once," he chuckled. "Better hurry and take you before you grow up." She could get so excited so fast, he marveled. She really was just a big kid. As long as she didn't cry to stay in Cinderella's castle overnight, he could handle Disney World. He loved it as a child, and no one really outgrew it, did they?

* * *

Cha-Cha smile grew, her arms wrapping around his neck as she leaned down to kiss him deeply. He called her young, and he was taking her to Disney World. Things didn't get better. "I love you so much," she mumbled. She'd never been to Florida before. Her family wouldn't have been able to afford it. "I _promise_ I won't embarrass you. Unless we see Goofy of course, then all bets are off, but otherwise I _promise_

."

* * *

Ed rolled his eyes. "You say love now, but as soon as we're back it'll be 'Oh hey, there's that guy again...'" Until she could think of something else she wanted. No, only joking. She deserved what she got and he knew she appreciated it. And he had to admit giving was just as enjoyable.

* * *

Cha-Cha frowned. "No offence baby, but if I didn't love you, I would be so gone by now. You've given me enough reason," she reminded him. She knew he knew there were ample moments where she could have walked away, and who could have blamed her for it? But she never did.

* * *

"I know, I was only kidding." He leaned forward a bit to kiss her again. Less talking, less chance he'd have of saying something to annoy her. And he didn't want to risk saying the thought that crossed his mind about _her_ upsetting _him_ to come out. He'd have to watch what he said for awhile. Like keeping any sarcastic reference of her and Lennie's chats about him to himself. Yes, they were trying to help, but it had left him feeling like his confidence in both of them had been betrayed. And yes, look who was talking, but it was only human...

* * *

Cha-Cha returned the kiss, letting her hands touch his face. Even if he was just kidding, she had to make sure he knew. "I do love you," she promised, intent on showing him in any way possible. For once in her life, she meant it. He had to believe that.

* * *

Cha-Cha kissed the top of his head contentedly, finally tall enough to do so. Well, not tall exactly, but the angle let her do it. "You still tired?" she asked, running a hand down his arm gently. She could easily stay up, but she wouldn't refuse being held by him either. Her earlier efforts to get his shirt off seemed to have been abandoned in favour of just quietly enjoying sitting with him.

* * *

"Well I was, and then I wasn't, and now I am again..." Depended on what they were talking about, and how. And what had been going on between the talking... "Unfortunately I'm going with tired." He said this, but did he ever successfully fight her off? He'd be tired, he'd lay down, she'd follow, and some how his nap started an hour later? Hmm.

* * *

"You're no fun," Cha-Cha moaned, though she was smiling at him. She wasn't as tired as he was, but they could lie down for awhile. They would have a week to themselves, after all. "Time to get up?" she asked as it occured to her she was sitting on him. Not that she'd oppose to getting carried to the bedroom.

* * *

"Yeah, this chair is killing me," he said, starting to gently nudge her. He didn't really know why he was tired. Hadn't really done much that day, after all. But stress and panic and the rest from his emotional roller coaster must've really done him in.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, kissing his forehead one more time before sliding off. Leaning down to take her heels off, a deep sigh escaped her. "Try to relax?" she asked him hopefully. It was over. There were a few extra things to think about, but the bulk of it...the main problems, they were resolved.

* * *

"Yeah." He waited for her to finish and get up, then heading to the bedroom for his nap. Falling onto the comforter he closed his eyes happily. "I already feel better." Now to move under a blanket. But was it worth the effort? Maybe he'd just lay there.

* * *

"Good," Cha-Cha pulled her tights out under skirt, climbing into bed with him. Leaning down to kiss his lips quickly, she curled up at his side. "So do I." She wasn't planning on sleeping, but she'd stay with him for awhile. Be there when he woke up.

Kissing his shoulder, she let a few seconds pass by. "I'm sorry," she mumbled finally. If he could say it, she really had to as well. Neither of them had been totally in the right. She'd sort of broken his trust, hadn't she? By talking to Lennie. Even if it was for Ed's own good...Cha-Cha didn't usually apologize. Not for things like this. But she wanted to clear the air between them, resolve any last possible potential conflict.

* * *

"What?" he asked, a little surprised to hear that right now. He was thinking about finding another pillow. About the body he now had pressed against him. How he should roll over to hug it. Not her and Lennie anymore.

* * *

"I'm just sorry," Cha-Cha repeated. Her hand moved down to touch his. She wanted to lie with him unconflicted, enjoy the comfort he brought completely. No reason for either of them to be mad at the other. Not anymore. Things were working out in their favour, it was just a process of eliminating the little problems. She didn't want him to resent her for any reason. "For anything. Talking to Lennie, getting mad at you...anything."

* * *

Oh. That. Well, if she was willing to forgive him for his numerous issues, it wouldn't be fair to hold a grudge about that, right? He rolled over lazily, arm landing on and wrapping loosely around her. He looked at her a moment. "Well you _were_ trying to help..." Maybe he'd just be annoyed with Lennie for a bit. Eh, not his partner either, it was his job to snoop. Okay so he couldn't be mad at anyone. Bunny. There we go. Hold a grudge against him and forgive everyone else. One big happy.

* * *

A relieved smile washed over Cha-Cha's face, and she tilted her face up to look at him. "We were," she told him, an arm wrapping around him in turn. Finally, he could see that. Of course there was personal gain there too; neither of them wanted to be out of the loop. But if he could forgive her for that, she could forgive him for leaving them out in the first place. Or rather, the other way around, since she'd already forgiven him and then some.

* * *

Alright, everyone was forgiven and happy. Or very close to getting there. Ed kissed her forehead before pulling her against his chest. "Now lemme sleep." His hands ventured under her shirt. He was only going to hold her, but why not make the most of it? Be as close together as possible.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled kissing his chest gently and holding him tight. Now she could rest easy. "I love you so, so much," she promised quietly one more time. She'd decided she loved saying that to him. Even if he got sick of it, even if he stopped returning it, she'd still say it to him and mean it every time. It was sort of amazing. She closed her eyes contentedly, enjoying his close hold on her.

* * *

"I love you too." He smiled, trying to remember the last time he had a relationship that involved so much cuddling. Came up empty. "But I can't sleep if you keep it up, and you'll be bumped to the couch. Now shush."

* * *

Cha-Cha aped angry shock, letting it break into a grin. "So romantic," she teased, kissing his chin one more time. She did quiet down though, her eyes closing again and her body relaxing. Or trying to. The coffee she'd drank was making her awfully fidgety.

* * *

"Romantic is my middle name." A few minutes went by, and he opened his eyes again. "Hun," he started with a laugh, "do you need to get up and walk around?" Really now. It was making him feel like moving too.

* * *

"Nah, m'fine. Thought you were sleeping," Cha-Cha pointed out. He made such a big deal of it. She stretched her legs out, trying not to kick him. One of her feet ended up resting against him, the toes flexing every so often. Cha-Ch was a naturally energetic person, and caffiene only made things worse. The fact they hadn't woken up all that long ago was contributing to it, too. "Really, I'm good."

* * *

"Alright, alright, it just feels like you wanna get up and dance." Hmm. "Which, by the way, I've never seen you do. Or sing. Maybe this club of your doesn't really exist." Gah, now he was thinking about it. "No, no, I'm sleeping...I'm sleeping..."

* * *

"Oh, now you're going all detective on me?" Cha-Cha laughed. She had half a mind to climb ontop of him, prevent him from sleeping at all. That wouldn't be very nice. Funny, but not very nice. "You want me to dance for you, baby?" she asked, getting closer to him. He said he was sleeping, but he was just asking for it, wasn't he?

* * *

Yes. Definitely yes. "You can't just offer that now!" That wasn't fair! If she was serious there was no way he could sleep now. Why was he tired again? What case? Adam who? He wasn't exhausted!

* * *

"Except I think I just did," Cha-Cha was giggling now. Flustered Ed was one of the best kinds of Ed. Especially when he was trying to sleep. Cha-Cha always seemed to get her way with him. It was a nice sort of consistancy. Taking his hands, she let them brush her hips before she placed them at his sides. "I'm gonna go get a glass of water," she decided, climbing out of bed. Taking extra care to move her hips as she walked towards the kitchen.

* * *

Ed watched her go reluctantly. Evil. That was the only word that fit her. His senses were on high alert and a desire was growing and he couldn't shake the feeling and she was just evil. He would have grabbed her back if he'd been able to function.

Water? Seriously? That couldn't be what she was doing. How could she go from that to 'Gee, I'm thirsty'? It wasn't right. It wasn't human! Cha-Cha needed to be back here in five seconds. Either to throw water on him to cool him off or go through with her offer. Or get back in bed. One of the last two would work out best.

* * *

Cha-Cha returned a few minutes later, satisfied to see him significantly awake. Exactly what she'd been aiming for. While she would have laid with him for a few hours, the desire she'd had earlier hadn't completely gone away. "I thought you were tired, lover," she smirked, standing at the edge of their bed, not getting in just yet.

* * *

He sat up and attempted to glare at her. "You...are so..._infuriatingly_...sexy...it's...infuriating." Good job, Ed. Use your words gracefully. He wanted to demand she return to his side, but that would probably end with her stubbornly refusing and going into a half hour game like in the kitchen earlier.

* * *

Cha-Cha simply grinned at him, not moving from her spot. Exactly the reaction she was going for. he played right into her hands, and she loved it. "So? What are you gonna do about it?" she demanded. If a dance was what he wanted, he would have to wait for her to stretch, find the right music, get into her groove, You couldn't rush perfection.

* * *

Forget the dance, he wanted her now. Well, put it on hold? Rain check? Not get rid of it completely anyway. From his position he tried to judge how far away she was. Less than a foot from the bed. He was near the middle. If he stretched out how long was he? Add in a slight jump. He could probably reach her. Ed brought a foot up underneath himself, keeping whatever part of him he could as relaxed and casual looking as possible so it wasn't obvious what he was doing. Just in case she wouldn't come back on her own.

"Babe you've teased me enough. Come over here?" Please?

* * *

Cha-Cha watched him, pleased with his reaction. It was about time. He had known how to turn her on and get her red in the face since the morning after the first time. Finally, it was his turn. It took her four months, but better late than never. The turn out was worth the wait. "Lose the shirt, Ed, and we'll talk," she decided. Surely he could do something simple like that for her? It was more relevant than switching legs or putting coffee cups down.

* * *

Ed removed it like she asked. See how smoothly things went with cooperation? No questions asked? He was probably drooling too much to talk anyway.

Alright, he'd asked nicely, what else did he have to do?

* * *

Cha-Cha heaved a sigh, watching him. "I was looking forward to _sleeping_ with my baby," she pointed out, biting her bottom lip gently. Of course he still wanted that too, just...a different meaning. Neither of them were too unattractive. "I dunno, Ed. Give me a good reason," she teased.

* * *

Forget it. Game over. Seriously. Ed jumped forward to the edge of the bed, got an arm around her, and fell backward with her. She'd had plenty of time to come willingly, it was only fair. He kissed her hungrily. "Do I need a reason to love you?"

* * *

Cha-Cha nearly screamed, though it morphed into a giggle. "Jerk," she got out between kisses, hands on his chest. Of course he'd given her what, ultimately, she had been aiming for. But he did it so forecfully she could almost classify it as rude. Almost. If she weren't laughing so hard.

* * *

Ed ignored the insult. After all, she'd had enough time to do whatever she wanted. Not his fault she had chosen to stand so close to the foot of the bed. He had better things to focus on.

Her laughing didn't distract him. In fact, it only encouraged him, because he was determined to get a more serious sound out of her. He rolled them over, ending up on top of her and pressing her into the mattress as he kissed her fiercely. Maybe this was a better way to forget the days happenings than sleeping it off after all. But as far as he was concerned, if she wanted to interrupt his plans to sleep, _he_ would be calling the shots.

* * *

**Author Note: **So, is it better with or without the lines? Thanks for reading. Much love to Operatic for playing Cha-Cha.

* * *


	17. Nice to Meet You?

You know the drill: Cha-Cha is played by Operatic. I play Ed. I hope the lines help.

* * *

**Nice To Meet You?**

Ed looked in the mirror. He didn't look like a murderer in his opinion. Hopefully the girls would agree.

Today he'd meet the infamous gang. He was a little worried they might have heard about what happened. Ideally they'd only know about how he and Cha-Cha had to sneak around, and that'd be the worst of it. But what were the odds all three had missed it? While it hadn't been front page news - thank God - it had made the news.

* * *

Cha-Cha hadn't dressed any differently; she knew the girls wouldn't expect her to. She couldn't lie and say she wasn't nervous, though. She hadn't seen any of them since before the...ordeal began. Talked to Rusty, but that was the extent of it. Rusty didn't let on that she knew anything, but those things were hard to broach on the phone, anyway. 'So I hear your live-in boyfriend killed a man'. Sort of a face-to-face kind of thing.

Heading into the bedroom, she looked at him in the mirror and kissed his cheek gently. "How could they not love you?" she asked, and wouldn't mention any reason why they wouldn't. At least he was good-looking. They'd have Ivana and Grace's vote, at least. At least initially.

* * *

Ed sighed. "I'll settle for tolerate." He wouldn't be greedy. "If they don't know anything...are we going to tell them?" Maybe they'd never hear about it. Maybe they would and be angry they'd tried to hide it.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, moving into the bathroom to put the finishing touches on her makeup. "We should," she admitted. As much as she didn't want to, it would be worse if they didn't. They really did deserve to know. Plus, she didn't want it to bite them in the butt later on.

* * *

"It'd sound better coming from you," he said in reference to the 'we'. "You speak their language and all," he said jokingly. He'd be there to double check she got the story completely straight. And to reinforce the fact that he hadn't been in contact with Starr during his relationship with Cha-Cha.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, leaning back to look at her reflection. Not bad. "You'll pick up on it eventually, babe. Fashion, food, and men. I know you can appreciate at least two of those. I could guide you through fashion..." she offered with puppy dog eyes. If Ed suddenly took up an interest in shopping and shoes, he really would be the perfect man.

* * *

Ed patted his empty pockets. "Hey, whatdya know, I don't have my keys." He went off in search for them. Him, become a regular shopper? He shuddered at the thought. Wanting to avoid a direct no thank you, he ran away.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, watching him go. Shutting the lights off, she followed him out. Okay. This was going to be alright. What could they do, anyway? Tell her to dump him? Believe it or not, Cha-Cha was an adult. That decision was hers to make. And they had to like him once they got to know him, right? This was just a...a bump in the road. "You nervous?" she asked softly.

* * *

"Me? In my line of work you're not allowed to feel nervous." When they were ready he lead he way out of the apartment, to the elevator, and to the car. "Of course that's assuming you know you've got backup..." Not him going in solo and blind.

* * *

At least one of them felt confident. Sort of. "You've got backup," she promised him. Neither of them were really going into it alone, were they? They still had each other. And Rusty...they'd have to come around. Ed wasn't going anywhere, so they'd have to get used to it, right? At least treat him civilly. Hey, this could have a wonderful turn out. If it hadn't been for this snag, there would have been no questioning the girls' enthusiasm. "I'm your partner today." With a giggle, she added, "no wonder I'm craving hot dogs."

* * *

Ed rolled his eyes with a chuckle. Holding open the door he said, "Get in, Lennie." He might've normally made a joke about going in armed. Definitely would not be funny now. "You're gonna have to show me how to get there...or at least give me the cross streets." Had she ever done it without a subway involved?

* * *

Lennie would probably never kiss Ed as he climbed into the car, but Cha-Cha wasn't one to follow silly rules like that. She nodded her hesad, momentarily considering getting the address from the phonebook. But they didn't need that, did they? She used to live there. "I'll try," she grinned nervously. "It's more on the east side, for a...general direction."

* * *

"Great," he laughed. Oh yeah. No problem whatsoever getting there. But he knew once they got relatively in the area things would be familar and come back to her. Or at least she had know where the subway normally ended up, right? That would help. Except she said she had trouble with that too. Well, it'd be an adventure.

* * *

"We'll find it. And if we don't it might be for the better anyway," Cha-Cha pointed out. She could find it, though. Despite commin belief, she wasn't a stupid person. Just a little forgetful sometimes. With some things. "So I have friends of yours to meet, too?" she asked to make conversation.

* * *

"Yeah," he nodded. "I was going to have them help you move upstairs but it uh, ended up being more of a you and me thing." And with all that crying she hadn't looked her best, and he knew she'd be angry if he showed up with friends when she wasn't in drag and already upset. "I'll get them over eventually."

* * *

"Right..." That it was. They were past all that now, though. No need to think about being mad at him. She wasn't, and she was going to have to prove that to the others, too. "Do they know I'm...your _girl_friend?" she asked. If they were okay to meet, they'd have to know, right? And be okay with it.

* * *

"Yeah, they do," he answered. Ed had told his friends that from the beginning. It was everyone else like Lennie and Lieu who found out the hard way. "But they haven't seen you, so they're almost as skeptical about you as you are of them." Why could neither side believe he had friends? Seriously!

* * *

"What do they think?" Cha-Cha asked with a laugh. That she didn't exist? That...she was ugly? Ed must've mentioned she was a three time Flawless winner. He must have. Otherwise she'd have a bone to pick with that boy. Three to be exact. "I'm just glad to know that they're probably not imaginary. Not that there's anything wrong with imaginary friends! Just...with some real ones too," she teased him.

* * *

"I do not have imaginary friends! Why does everyone think this?" It was amazing. And a little insulting. He sighed, amused anyway. "They think you sound too good to be true, and therefore probably don't believe me when I talk about you at all." What could he say? She was impressive.

* * *

"Because, you're...cute," Cha-Cha decided on the word, grinning at him. Detectives weren't supposed to be cute, but she couldn't tell him a lie. She squeezed his knee gently, letting him know she was just fooling around. Her smile deepened, "Aww." Whether he was exaggerating to them or not, it was very sweet. "Well, I am wonderful," she addded with a laugh.

* * *

"Indeed you are." As if her ego needed to get any larger. He changed to a general topic for a while, driving in what ended up being the correct direction after all. He never doubted her...? "Close?" he wondered.

* * *

"Mmhmm," Cha-Cha nodded. She was beginning to recognize it now. "Turn onto this street. It's sort of the...falling apart-y one," she laughed nervously. Cha-Cha came from especially humble roots. Amazing since she herself was the furthest thing from humble. Rusty would be at Ivana and Grace's, already waiting for them.

* * *

"I mean this with all the love in the world," he began. He didn't want to insult her or her friends. "But how did you jump from this area to our building?" True, his apartment was furnished much more and much better, but she'd still got the area down.

* * *

Cha-Cha was honest. "Me and my ex-boyfriend had very similar success stories," she shrugged, not really embarrased by the fact. "I moved in with him, a few months later he went with his new man. He's somewhere off near Madison Avenue now." It happened, it happened. She got a nice place out of the deal. It eventually turned into a win-win.

* * *

"Why didn't I think of that?" Ed laughed. Here he'd been paying for his on his own. "I'd say you might make out like that again," he said jokingly, "but unfortunately the only way you'll get my apartment is if I'm in it with you. You'll be stuck with me for a very, very long time."

* * *

"Well, I wish I could say I was sad to see him go. He was getting boring anyway," Cha-Cha checked the dirt under her fingernails. It hadn't hurt at all. A little bit. She got over it. "I think I can handle that," she replied with a laugh. Hey, she had moved up again by moving in with him anyway, when she thought about it. His apartment was a whole lot neater than hers would ever be. Plus, DVDs! "Least I snagged a nice tv this time. For having such a nice apartment, he sure was cheap," she mused. Then again, anything was nice to compared to her old dump. And she wasn't exactly a big spender herself.

* * *

Dirt only appeared under her nails when she was a little uncomfortable, he'd found. Darn he must've done it again. At least she lightened up a moment later. And note to self: don't get boring.

For all his complaining, Ed actually wasn't that cheap. But if she figured that out he'd be in trouble. Already having a natural instinct to buy mixed with her puppy dog eyes? Dear lord.

* * *

"That's it," Cha-Cha pointed as they got to a run down old building. Where they lived wasn't crazy nice or anything, but ir was a palace compared. One day they'd have to figure out some way to get her girls up where they were. A finished ceiling snd working air conditioner were easy to get used to. "You ready?' she asked him softly.

* * *

"I think so," he said brightly, a bit more confident sounding than he felt. He'd gone into gang hangouts with more confidence, it was quiet sad really. "This'll be fun." No problem. Awesome. Yep.

* * *

"You're with me," she reminded him one more time before getting out of the car. Just in case she was more nervous than he looked. She knew she was, and they were her friends. "I love them to death, but nothing they say is gonna change that." She leaned across the space in their seats to kiss his cheek.

* * *

Ed turned in time for his lips to meet hers. He needed that more. Opening his door and getting out he laughed lightly, saying, "And I'll keep telling myself that if any of them are as attractive as you." Not that he would even consider trading her for her friend.

* * *

Cha-Cha's jaw dropped and she punched his arm lightly. "My friends are gorgeous, but you are mine," she told him, grasping his hand tightly. Besides, she was Miss Flawless! "That happens, there were a number of very cute cops at the precinct. Who's the tall guy, curly brown hair, deep voice...?" She was making it up to tease him. That day, she hadn't been in the mood to look up any men. But hey, maybe there was a guy like she described. She wouldn't mind meeting someone like that.

((cough Lupo cough... XD))

* * *

((ahaha xD Lupo...))

Ed made a face at her and sped up. He could never win with her. Why did he try?

"No trading each other for friends or partners. Deal?"

* * *

"Deal," Cha-Cha laughed softly. She was pretty sure there were no other cops for her. Much too happy with the one he had. He knew she was just playing around, right? Walking past the ruddy, broken down lobby, she pulled him into the next empty, rickety elevator, kissing him softly.

* * *

He knew. Ed grinned into the kiss happily. When they got off on her friends floor he let her lead the way. There was no way he could hide behind her, he was much taller. Didn't mean he wouldn't try... But, if they were friends of hers, they'd probably be similar, right? Birds of a feather... Unless this was one of those opposites attract scenarios. Well, in two seconds he'd know.

* * *

Cha-Cha knocked a few times, her hand in his still. Make a point. Ed was there to stay, no matter what the girls though. It was her life, her man, and they would have to deal. Understood?

Still, the minute Amazing Grace opened the door, much squealing and hugging commenced. Ed Green ceased to exist in Cha-Cha's mind for a few minutes.

* * *

Ed was more than willing to let them have their girl time. In fact, hey, why don't we just rendezvous at five and he'll pick her up then? No, no, he was braver than that, honestly. And he was excited to meet these infamous girls. He stood awkwardly beside Cha-Cha, smiling politely and wanting Cha-Cha's hand back.

* * *

Finally, after the initial excitement died off, Cha-Cha took Ed's hand again. Why was he standing so off to the side? She knew her friends were overwhelming, but...okay her friends were overwhelming. But no more than she was, right? Of course, her excitement went way up around the other queens too. Not that she didn't get excited to see Ed, but he didn't return the squeals and enthusiasm a girl could. Sure he was enthusiastic, but in a more manly, sophisticated way. Most of the time.

"And...this is Ed," she added, squeezing his hand and urging him to come closer. The girls didn't bite. Usually. Grace's eyes immediately got larger, a small grin working it's way onto her face.

"Girl, his is _fine_!" she exclaimed, her mouth as always going off before her brain could think.

((I don't know if you;re still online so i was thinking; maybe rusty can know about the case but not the other two? They probably wouldn't find out on their own and she might wait to tell them so as not to make them nervous. That and you just know Ed would initially be quite popular with Ivana and Grace XD whatcha think?))

* * *

((Agree, agree - No one can resist Eddie xD If they can forgive Walt for killing Sonny in defense of Rusty -who was not lover- then there's hope they'd forgive Ed for killing Bunny in defense of Starr- WHO IS NOT HIS LOVER CUZ HE LOVES THE CHA-CHA. Right? xD If only Ed knew that. Could be one defense xD))

The corners of Ed's mouth twitched, but he refused to allow a smirk to show. Well, so far so good. He held out a hand, assuming he wasn't going to get the same welcoming as Cha-Cha. Jumping up and down screaming wasn't really his thing anyway. "Ed Green," he said pleasently. Now, which one was she? He'd rather wait then guess wrong, he decided.

* * *

((do you mean Mr Z? That's a good point. Everyone will love Ed eventually Cha-Cha will convince them i promise. ))

"This is Grace--_Amazing_ Grace," Cha-Cha corrected herself at Grace's look.

"If you get 'three time Flawless winner' on your name everytime, I at least get that," Grace protested. Especially when she was in the presense of a man such as Ed Green. "Very, very nice to meet you," she turned to Ed, shaking his hand.

Ivana and Rusty began making their way to the door. Ivana had the better position, and mouthed something to Rusty that was generally along the same lines as Grace's comment. Cha-Cha beamed. She knew they'd like him.

* * *

((Oops XD Ya, I mean Mr Z. I was close xD Sonny could die too... evil))

He chuckled and nodded, repeating what she said before taking his hand back. She had a point. Cha-Cha did find a way to get her title into a lot of conversations. Ed looked over Grace's shoulder to see the other two. They were all pretty, not entirely surprising.

With one down, he could figure out the other two. From Cha-Cha's descriptions of Rusty it was easy to guess. "Rusty and Ivana?" he said, looking at the correct girls each time but still stating it as a question.

* * *

"Present!" Ivana called, raising her hand, lowering it, she pushed past Grace to shaked Ed's hand as well. No one said they were the most polite of drag queens. Cha-Cha picked it up from somewhere. "Ivana You. MANN. Ivana Mann." the redhead grinned.

"Hey hey remember who saw him first!" Grace protested.

"Yeah, please do that!"Cha-Cha interjected with a laugh. She squeezed Ed's hand, shooting a smile in his direction. So none of them knew. Perfect. Already this was going ten times better than they'd thought it would.

Rusty didn't make an effort to push past the wall of queens blocking the door. She nodded at Ed, but otherwise didn't try too hard to get close yet. Who could blame her? There was barely enough room for Ivana and Grace in the doorway, let alone a third person.

* * *

Ed visibly relaxed, and the nervous grip on his love's hand loosened too. With that out of the way, he wasn't sure what came next. He missed the slight apprehension in Rusty's expression, a little busy trying to keep his personal bubble intact. At least they weren't getting close to attack him, though.

* * *

After a few seconds, the girls finally moved aside to let the couple in. Cha-Cha immediately went to Rusty, hugging her 'mama' happily. It looked like everything really was fine. Would they still have to say? It wasn't that huge a deal, right? Well...relatively huge, but there were reasons behind it. They would understand right? If Cha-Cha hadn't let him go, the girls would have to be able to let him in.

Rusty kissed both of Cha-Cha's cheeks, watching the other two girls speak to Ed. Unlike them, Rusty read. She knew what was going on, but wasn't sure how to broach the subject. While she hadn;t wanted to worry Ivana and Grace...she just wasn't sure how to trust Ed. Cha-Cha seemed happy, but...well, Cha-Cha wasn't always the most sensible person. She didn't always make the best decisions with men.

"So how long have you known Cha-Cha?" Ivana asked Ed.

"And why didn't I meet you first?" Grace added.

* * *

And the tidal wave of questions began.

"Since August," he answered Ivana. "We didn't actually start dating though 'til a little after that." Ed smiled at Grace's question, not really prepared for that one. "It was really a coincidence she even ran into me," he said honestly. "I can't-" well, actually, "-_couldn't_ get around to a lot of places we'd meet in." Slim to none chance he would have seen any of them. But that wasn't a problem now. They knew that, right?

* * *

"You haven't seen the show, have you? I'd remember if you had," Grace thought out loud. She wouldn't have forgotted Ed, especially since Ch-Cha would've had to introduce him. No way could she keep him all to herself.

"You have to see the show though! You don't know Cha-Cha till you see her perform. She didn't become Miss Flawless with just a pretty face..." Ivana added. "Well, not the second two times, anyway."

One thing Cha-Cha failed to take into consideration? Ivana and Grace knew as much about her as Lennie knew about Ed. And their mouths were even bigger. Oh great. "Would you two please give the man some room?" she asked, cheeks red but laughing anyway. She didn't have that many things she was keeping from him, right? Not even keeping from him. She'd just...failed to mention some things, maybe. Some very embarrasing things.

* * *

Similar to how Ed failed to mention some things? Mhmm. What goes around, comes around...

He smiled almost smugly at his girl. "We were talking about that last night." Conversation sort of got interrupted. Looking back to the group, he said, "I can't remember her ever suggesting we go. Although I told her _months_ ago I'd like to." That was true. At the very beginning of their relationship he'd said he was interested.

* * *

_But you wouldn't have gone_, Cha-Cha wanted to remind him. He couldn't have, even though she'd like him to. She understood that. "Well, maybe sometime this week," she suggested. Since he had the week off, they could plan for a late night.

* * *

It probably would have been a risk he'd take. Lennie wouldn't barge into that kind of club, after all.

"Sure," he agreed. Sometimes it still baffled him that she worked. He was gone often, but it scarcely occurred to him that she might be out of the house too. As if she'd just sit there waiting? He assumed it was because he hadn't seen the place, it was hard to imagine her there. "Is there a night you'd all be there?" How did scheduling work?

* * *

"There are shows on Wednesdays, Fridays, and weekends," Grace informed him. "Usually everybody's on every show, but _Miss Taco Bell_ here has been showing up less and less."

"Can you blame her?" Ivana added, eyeing the detective.

"I'll put some tea on," Rusty decided. She took Cha-Cha hand and led her to the kitchen. Cha-Cha shot Ed a look, her forehead creased. When Rusty escorted her to a corner it meant she wanted to talk, usually when Cha-Cha was out of line about something.

* * *

Ed tried really really hard not to laugh at 'Miss Taco Bell'. Really hard. But he couldn't hide it completely. Where had these girls been all these months? If Cha-Cha was allowed regular Lennie visits, he needed this apartments phone number. It was only fair.

Wait. Cha-Cha was leaving the room? Ed looked at her with a _am I seriously being left alone with them already?_ expression in return. He wanted to run after even though he knew that'd be rude. But he really wanted to hear what else they had to say. His desire for more info on his girl won.

* * *

"Cha-Cha, some of us read the newspaper," Rusty started. Cha-Cha's heart sank. It was too early to celebrate, she supposed. How stupid of her, to really think...of course Rusty would know. Rusty found out about everything. The latina was sure she had eyes on the back of her head. "I'm not sure I like this."

"Are you going to take the newspaper's word over ours?" Cha-Cha asked, frowning. They didn't even post the whole story, probably. They definitely weren't sympathetic.

"I've never met him, honey. It just worries me," Rusty confessed.

"You have to see the show," Grace agreed. "We all do different things, sometimes even go into the audience..."

"Yeah, you have to see it!" Ivana exclaimed. "Some of the men, they're very attentive. Very attentive. We need us a big strong bodyguard."

* * *

Ed laughed. "Well, hey, whatever I can do to help," he smiled.

As Ed continued to talk to Ivana and Grace, soaking in whatever stories they had time to tell, he forgot about what might be going on between Rusty and Cha-Cha.

He had known there'd be an article about his involvement in the murder case and how he was more or less innocent. He'd killed someone, but with a justifiable reason. He didn't think about the fact that he was probably mentioned as a suspect _before_ he'd been cleared. And that the idea had had time to sink in.

"What was I supposed to think when I read this last week?" Rusty asked, pulling out a newspaper clipping she'd had in her pocket.

_GAY COP ARRESTED FOR MURDER  
New York, NY-  
New York City police arrested suspect Junior Detective Ed Green for the recent uptown homicide. Green was not considered a flight risk and was permitted to return home to the apartment he shares with his drag queen lover after only one night in custody._

_Police say 38 year old Green plead not guilty, claiming self defense._

_Green has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of Matthew Bennett, aka "Bunny"._

_Police say Bennett was a former acquaintance of Green, both regulars of a gay friendly illegal gambling club. The two men had a history of violence between them. "Ed beat the crap out of Bunny," says a waitress from the club. "Word was Ed owed Bunny a lot of money and didn't feel like paying." Both were seen at the club Tuesday night. Green allegedly shot Bennett from behind without provocation soon after he'd gone outside._

_One witness tells reporters, "The cop just comes outside and shoots Bunny, bam bam. It was a damn execution."_

_Officers arrived at the scene to find Green still present. His parnter insists that the fact he didn't run and hide is relevant to his self defense claim. "If this was murder, he wouldn't have stayed to get caught." Green was arrested after being interviewed by Internal Affairs._

Rusty produced a second article. "And this, this morning."

_GAY COP CLEARED. DRAG QUEEN TO BLAME?  
New York, NY-  
The NYPD has recently dropped the murder charge against Junior Detective Ed Green. Green was the primary suspect in the homicide of 35 year old Matthew "Bunny" Bennett._

_Police say the detective could not keep his story straight, changing and adding details as evidence arose. "This was making us very suspicious," admitted Internal Affairs officer Bernard. "He lied to us, no question. He lied to his partner, no question."_

_One reason for the deceit was discovered when the police were lead to the home of Adam Lannen. Currently residing in New Jersey, Lannen is both a drag queen and former lover of Detective Green. Something the cop was attempting to keep hidden._

_As more evidence was uncovered, it became apparent that Lannen was present at the shooting. Lannen was arrested and charged with accomplice to murder._

_When news of the arrest reached Green, he immediately offered a deal: 6 months jail time in return for pleading guilty to manslaughter, leaving Lannen out completely. ADA Cutter refused the deal._

_Lannen later confessed to also owing a large sum of money to Bennett. Police know the drag queen went to the club looking for Bennett. It is rumored that Lannen intentionally angered Bennett, provoking him to shoot and causing Green to fire in what he believed to be defense of an innocent civilian. Lannen's motive may have been to eliminate debt owed by both himself and former lover._

_This allegation could not be proven, and therefore murder charges against both suspects have been dropped. Lannen is currently under investigation for embezzlement. He was accused of embezzling money to pay off the previously mentioned debts. Ed Green currently resides with his drag queen partner and will return to work Monday._

((I forget Bunny's real name, do you remember? I just made something up. I had nothing better to do than write this ridiculously long post xD I tried to have it tell the truth, but still make it look sorta bad for Ed. Anything you want added/deleted/changed?))

* * *

"Well, she gets the most attention, being Miss Flawless and all," Ivana started. "Gets more abuse too, yknow, since she is Miss Flawless. And a man. I mean we all get it, but the Flawless title is just one more thing they can throw at her.."

"He wants to know what she sings, stupid," Grace cut in, elbowing her friend.

Cha-Cha glanced at the first one quickly. She'd seen it, and there wasn't much to say about it. Yeah, there were some definite...misconceptions? Inaccuracies? But either way, the first one came out before even she knew all the details. Of course they were gonna get some things wrong.

The second one, though, that one made a difference. That was what they were calling the final story? Okay, yeah, they had it that Ed's story changed, he lied to everyone...she couldn't really deny that. Could defend his reasoning, but they were right in that way. But Cha-Cha was there, and she could write a better article than that. Totally biased but hey, Ed was the good guy. She was allowed to be biased towards him.

"I can tell you myself alot of that isn't true," Cha-Cha promised, shaking her head and handing them back. "Just give me a big red pen and I can mark the hell out of those."

"Like what?" Rusty asked with skepticism. She loved her Cha-Cha...eternally, but she wasn't always one to keep the facts straight. Plus, she wanted Ed to be innocent, making her even more liable to exaggerate.

"Okay. Lannen was a drag queen, did it say that? Yeah, it did," she nodded to herself, thinking back. "But probably the biggest thing is, Bunny's murder wasn't planned. Not by either of them. Don't give me that look mama, I was there at the trial...interrogation thing. They also didn't say where Bunny's gun was really pointed. Or why Ed really beat him up. Why Ed really shot him, god. How can they actually publish that crap?" she asked with wide eyes. Cha-Cha never realized how wrong a published work like that could be.

* * *

He frowned slightly. "Well singing, yeah," he'd like to know what she did. "But could you define abuse?" Was this something he should be worried about? Everyone knew now how he felt about his love being treated innapropriately. He didn't exactly see himself attacking anyone again though. Just keeping an eye out.

* * *

"Well you know, just pervy guys being stupid. Or homophobic guys being braindead. They just say things to her, is all. Well the pervy guys try to touch her sometimes, but that doesn't go far with all of us around," Ivana replied.

"But we all walk home together so we've got the strength in numbers thing goin'. Well, we walk Cha-Cha to the subway anyways," Grace added. After that, the blonde was sort of on her own, wasn't she? "But she sings all types of different stuff, alot of pop, stuff she can dance to," she said quickly, eager to get his attention on something more positive.

"Are you sure, Cha-Cha?" Rusty asked. What if the younger girl just didn't want to admit her boyfriend's faults? That was sort of understandable. But guilty or not, she didn't want to see Cha-Cha hurt. Not when she appeared to actually care about this man. She couldn't recall the last relationship of Cha-Cha's that lasted this long, and moving in? They'd all agreed what a bad idea it was for her to move in with Will. Why else would she be doing it again?

"Positive. And if you don't believe, talk to him, please? Cause I guarentee that will convince you. Even though you should already be convinced, 'cause I was there."

* * *

Ed nodded and followed their lead into a lighter subject. He was still uneasy with the idea of Cha-Cha coming home alone. Had it really never crossed his mind before? He let it go for now though, they obviously weren't keen on talking about it now.

"What about you two?" he asked.

* * *

"The same type of stuff. Cher, Madonna, Marilyn Monroe," Ivana gestured to herself. "The classics. You get your doe eyed queens doing Bette Midler and the like, too, but you'll never stand out that way."

"Well either way, you can't write him off just because of what some stupid reporter writes," Cha-Cha sighed, determined not to back down on this. "The fact is, I love him. Yes, _love_ him," she repeated for emphasis. It wasn't often Cha-Cha loved anybody. At least not as much as she loved Ed. "At least give him a chance, please."

* * *

"Right," he agreed. Ed really had no idea. Whatsoever. About anything that would be considered original. Everything he would see would be new, he hadn't seen a drag performance in almost a decade. Was Cha-Cha coming back soon?

It was hard to believe that the paper could really be as far off as she said, but Cha-Cha seemed convinced she could prove it wrong. Rusty thought she ought to hear their side of the story. "Tell me what happened. In a nutshell. I don't think we should leave him alone with Ivana and Grace. For _his_ safety," she assured her with a smile.

* * *

Cha-Cha couldn't help but giggle. It was too true. Already she could imagine her man sitting uncomfortably between the two energetic queens. She told Rusty the story as quickly and thoroughly as she could. Starr and Ed dating. Gambling together. Bunny using Starr, Ed beating him up. Bunny aiming for Starr. Ed shooting.

"So can you really blame him for that?" Cha-Cha asked, forehead wrinkling. Rusty sighed. It did make sense. "Why else would he get off, anyway?"

"I'll talk to him," she decided. Not total dismissal, but at least she'd give him a chance.

* * *

Ed was being educated on what one could and could not wear during a performance. He attempted to keep active and participate in the conversation but soon he was just nodding and mhmm-ing along with whatever was said. He could have told you lime green was out, but he had no idea certain shades of red were out too. How could you tell? Wasn't there just light red, red, and dark red? Seriously. What the hell was Alizarin?

* * *

"Girl, what are you talking about? It is perfectly acceptable to wear Alizarin during a show," Grace huffed.

"Only after Labour Day!" Ivana combatted, holding her ground.

"That's _Azalea_," Grace hit her forehead.

That was where Cha-Cha and Rusty came in. Cha-Cha looked at Ed sympathetically, though she was trying not to laugh. Her girls took some getting used to, it was true. Figuring it was too risky to try and get between the girls and Ed, she plopped herself in one of the ratty old chairs near the couch. Rusty sat in the other.

* * *

Ed looked to his left, then right, wondering how he'd ended up between them. He liked the girls, don't get him wrong, but he didn't want to literally be in the middle of a cat fight.

He was relieved when Cha-Cha returned. It seemed he'd get along with these two alright, but it was still too early to go solo. The fact Rusty and Cha-Cha came back without tea did not go unnoticed by the detective. He assumed a conversation about himself had taken place in the kitchen. No crying, no shouting...good news?

* * *

"They're fighting over you, Eddie. It means they like you," Cha-Cha shot him a grin. Grace shook her head.

"No, no--not that we don't like you, but she thought Alizarin was out of style..."

Cha-Cha's eyebrows lifted. "I thought Alizarin was in its prime! I know Venetian is heading out, which is total bogus might I add and a total inconvenience, but..." Cha-Cha was clearly at home with her girls.

* * *

Ed looked around at all of them. Were they making this up to confuse him, or were these seriously colors? Whatever happened to pink? Red? Blue? Dark and light. Did it really need to get more complicated than that? He felt extremely out of the loop concerning colors now. Note to self: buy a box of Crayola's. Maybe then he'd have a chance.

He didn't know how to ask what went on between Rusty and Cha-Cha. _So do they know I killed him or what? Did they catch the part about me **trying** to go to jail? Okay just checking._ He also wasn't sure if that should happen now or after they'd got to know him a bit. So they wouldn't put up their defenses too soon to let him in.

* * *

Cha-Cha watched Ed, tempted to go worm her way beside him. She stayed where she was. Yes, the conversation was all about him. How to get Rusty and him to talk though? Did she need to be there? She could go with Ivana and Grace to pick up some dinner. Or maybe she could go with Ed and Rusty instead? Nah, too hard to walk and talk. Ivana and Grace could go themselves, but how did you politely shove people out of their own home?

Rusy beat her to any punch she may have had. "So, Ed, tell us about yourself," she invited him. Start general, get specific.

* * *

What did she want to know? The question was almost too general for him. "Well, Cha-Cha's already told you what I do for a living, a detective and all..." _Help! Tell me what I'm supposed to tell them!_ Would they care about hearing all the crap he had to do to make detective? Moving around growing up? His favorite color? Which, contrary to popular belief, was blue. Not green.

* * *

"What do you do besides that?" Ivana asked, shifting a bit on the couch. He had to have a life outside of that. He wasn't just a detective, was he?

"How long have you done that?" Rusty asked, a continuation to his comment.

* * *

...What _did_ he do besides that? Cha-Cha, for one thing. But he wouldn't say that out loud. "I get to the occasional movie...Broadway show...how long ago did we see _title of show_, a month or two ago?" He couldn't remember with all the drama that had happened.

To answer Rusty's question, "Nine years. Be even longer if you wanna include what you gotta go through to get to detective."

* * *

((i don't know if you intended Ed's thoughts to be dirty or if my sleepy mind is twisting it XD either way i lol'd))

"That was...April?" Cha-Cha asked slowly. They saw a movie, too, though. Well, a couple if you counted home video. See, Ed had lots of interets! Sort of. Well...his job didn't leave alot of time for interests and hobbies. Give him a break. He was a hardworker, wasn't that something to be admired?

Nine years? "Lord honey, that's almost as long as Cha-Cha's been alive. Almost," she grinned at the queen. Mentally, maybe. When you figured Cha-Cha was probably eternally sixteen.

* * *

((I did xD Could we assume they at least saw a few more movies than the one we showed? Ed's confidence is plummetting as we speak xD))

Ed mentally rolled his eyes at himself. Didn't he sound impressive? He'd gotten her out to dinner once or twice a week regularly the last few months. Wow, dinner. Should he even bother mentioning that? He felt incredibly boring. "My schedule being the way it was, it was difficult to find time to get out." At a safe time. To a safe place. If he had the energy. But that was in past tense. Hopefully someone would pick up on that."I was trying to get the hours changed, but...I couldn't at the time." The whole long drama with Lieu suspecting something illegal. Now though, she'd probably cut him some slack. Both for him wanting to spend time with his girl, and the higher-ups still looking at him suspiciously. Van Buren and Lennie being dragged in too for all they did to help him. She hadn't waited for Monday to talk to him about it. She planned to ease him back in. "Being in the same building helped. I could at least stop by everyday." Sort of. Almost. _Please don't call me on that, Cha-Cha..._ He didn't need to appear to be a liar anymore than he already did.

He was definitely thinking they should have planned in advance something to tell them. It was incredibly embarassing to have to sit here and search for something he did with Cha-Cha.

* * *

"Exactly, yeah," Cha-Cha lied. Ed impressing her girls was just as important to her as it was to him. He wasn't just another two week romance, and she wasn't sure anybody really believed that yet. Despite it being...nearly a year, good lord. She told herself it was just cause they hadn't met him. But it would be nice if they'd at least entertain the idea. Despite bad press or law complications. "I mean we've seen alot of movies in theatres and all that stuff, but alot of times we haven't had to go out. Just staying home sometimes is fun too," she smiled at him. There, a difference. Dates where you didn't go anywhere used to be so boring to Cha-Cha.

* * *

Alright, good, she helped him out. He returned the smile, although a tad shyer. "Yeah. I've got the hours thing...in the process of being figured out." He directed it mainly to Cha-Cha. "I meant to tell you Lieu called this morning." Worrying about meeting them all shoved it to the back of his mind. "It's a...significant change. Still working on how it'll effect Lennie. My partner," he added for the rest. Ed would be there much less than the older cop. Would this be a good time to ease into why his time got cut?

* * *

Cha-Cha directed her attention back to him. "Honey that's great, what did she say? Like, did she give you an idea of when you'd go in...?" she asked. It was hard to hide her totally selfish joy over that. The more time Ed stayed home with her, the better. "Ed used to work some really ridiculous hours," she added for the other girls' benefits. "I mean I still saw him alot, don't get me wrong, but it'll be alot easier this way," she clarified.

* * *

Said that he should be happy he hadn't been fired? Not that Lieu would have wanted to let him go, but again the higher-ups thinking he made them look bad... As if he was the first. Or worst. He'd been cleared at least. "I've been bumped to a Monday-Wednesday-Friday deal. Unless I'm working on a case, then, you know, I'll be in like I normally was." She knew the drill. Work till it's solved. But if he only was there for paperwork, he'd be home earlier than normal.

* * *

Cha-Cha couldn't tell how Ed felt about that, but personally she couldn't be happier. If Ed had more time to spend with her, really, who was the loser in that deal? It was what they'd been trying to get all along. Of course these weren't the circumstances they were hoping to get it under, and that probably wasn't as much as Ed wanted to work. But she still had trouble feeling too bad about it. "That's great!" she exclaimed. "I think so, anyway. Y'know, at least that means more time together."

* * *

Ed smiled. "Yeah. Took long enough, hmm?" He couldn't help feeling, though, that he hadn't worked so vigorously for so many years to get pretty much demoted to _If we need you, you'll be there_. "I think time off for Florida will be easier to get now than before too..."

* * *

Cha-Cha's smile deepened, and she became significantly more excited. "You can't tease me about that baby. You serious?" she asked, biting her lip. Honestly she'd expected Ed to 'forget' all about it. Who in their right mind wanted to go to Disneyworld with a full-grown drag queen with the excitement of a teenage girl?

"Going away together?" Rusty asked. That was nice. Cha-Cha had never gone away with...anyone she'd ever dated. Had she ever even gone on a vacation? Not for as long as she'd known her.

* * *

"It was a serious offer," Ed chuckled. "Unless _you've_ changed your mind. You were the one that picked Florida." He most definitely owed her. Big time. For last week. "She originally wanted Hawaii," he told Rusty. Looking back to his girl he said with a grin, "Even I can't afford that." Unless she absolutely would not forgive him. Then he probably could magically come up with it.

* * *

Cha-Cha wanted to hug him. She didn't, but it was plain to see the excitement on her face. Later she'd thank him as much as she wanted to. Mushiness was second nature when they were alone, but she didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable. Not that her friends weren't happy for her, but still. Once they got to know Ed she'd feel more free to kiss him, tell him she loved him, be almost as close as they could be at home. Somehow she didn't think Ed would push her off around her friends. They weren't at home, but they weren't exactly fooling anybody either.

"Girl you've gotta hide me in your suitcase!" Ivana whined from the couch.

"Me too! Or I can hide in Eddie's," Grace added, hooking her arm in the detective's.

Cha-Cha laughed. They would never try to take Ed from her in all seriousness, but it was too much fun not to josh him around. And he was too hot for them not to swarm. It was the truth! "You can't do that! Carmine would miss your daily visits," she stuck her tongue out.

"Not _daily_," Grace blushed, not exactly the best liar.

* * *

"Rock paper scissors for it," he teased. "Winner can come."

Carmine? "There's a name I haven't heard in awhile. And a person I haven't seen in even longer..." Because they hadn't had to order in lately. Because Ed took her out more? Yeah, tell yourself that Eddie.

* * *

"Do I get no say? Winner gets Mickey Mouse ears," Cha-Cha decided. As much as she loved her girls, how awkward would that be? Even if they were only joking around. "Or Minnie Mouse ears. Or some combination of the two," it would be fitting.

"Gracie's in _love_ with him," Ivana teased.

* * *

Ed was feeling better, but not brave enough to joke back on that one. Any sentence involving love needed to be directed toward Cha-Cha for now. He'd lighten up after a few visits, but just to make sure she didn't worry about what they'd joked about earlier...

* * *

"Ed's jealous of him," Cha-Cha teased him. "But also reacted like any gay man should." It was hard to be really jealous of Carmine. Impossible to dislike him. Besides, when it came right down to it, Cha-Cha knew who she'd choose between the two of them; Ed and Carmine.

* * *

"Oh, I am not," Ed said, rolling his eyes in a completely unconvincing way. Not...really. If he was jealous of anyone it would probably be one of the people in the room. They have had a longer relationship with Cha-Cha than he had. Knew more about her than he did, though he was learning quickly.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, shaking her head. "'Oh, I am _not_'. Lover, people who aren't jealous don't often huff and roll their eyes. Just for future reference," she teased. Was anyone blaming him? All her boyfriends got jealous of Carmine. Only difference was that Ed, unlike those guys, had nothing to worry about.

* * *

"Thanks for that, I'll log that away." Hmph. Mentally hmph, but hmph all the same.

"What have you girls been up to lately?" he asked the three, changing the subject. Not caring if it was obvious.

* * *

"Same old," Grace admitted.

"Shows, mostly, like we said. Terrorizing the city. Starting to get ready for the Miss Flawless competition," Ivana added, shooting Cha-Cha a look at that last part. The blonde hadn't gone with them to sign up like she usually did. Declined, had said she was too busy. That was less than a week ago.

* * *

"When is that?" he wondered. Cha-Cha had hardly mentioned it. If at all. He wouldn't know if that was unusual, having not been around last time, but he assumed that wasn't normal. Shouldn't she be fluttering about or something? Practicing or...stuff like that? Ed looked curiously at her, especially after that look Ivana had.

* * *

"A month," Ivana replied when Cha-Cha shrugged. It really wasn't like her to just forget. The deadline was only a few days away.

Busted. Cha-Cha was hoping it wouldn't have to come up. "I dunno, I just..." how to explain this? There was enough going on. She just didn't have time for it this year. That was hardly the only reason though, and it wasn't even a good one to use around Rusty. She didn't want them thinking Ed's problem was giving her second thoughts. "I just haven't signed up yet."

* * *

"Really?" It seemed like just yesterday they were joking about her winning it to jump start his Miss Flawless experiences, or losing and ending it just like that. Ed wanted to ask why, but that shrug had had a slight 'I don't wanna talk about it' vibe going on. He didn't think he should pry. But he really hoped her girls would.

* * *

"You better get your butt down there or you'll miss out!" Grace chided.

"I...I'll try," Cha-Cha shrugged. Non-commitment. She didn't have to really get into it and she didn't have to make a decision right away. She still had...what, two more days to get down there? If that was what she decided. If. But at the moment she was content to leave it at that.

Of course, it couldn't be that easy. "Usually you're the one trying to get everyone together," Rusty reminded her, a little concerned.

* * *

"I thought you'd be more excited about it, too..." Ed admitted. He'd actually been kind of looking forward to seeing what all the fuss was about. Apparently though something had changed her mind. His mess was over, they had the time, the lighter attitudes...

* * *

Cha-Cha wanted to ask when, exactly, he thought she'd had time to get excited. About anything. Florida okay, because that only started after it was all said and done. But she'd gotten the opportunity to sign up a week ago, when they were still shoulders deep in drama. It had snuck up on her, and she couldn't do it then. Even now...

"Well, maybe tommorrow," she finally relented, willing them to just drop it already.

* * *

Apparently that had been the wrong thing to say. But it sounded like it had been a thing you plan for quite a ways ahead of time. If signing up last week was the issue, wouldn't all that time beforecancel out now? Maybe? He'd ask her about this later if he was brave enough.

* * *

"Anyway," Cha-Cha stressed the word, hoping to keep Ivana and Grace quiet. Rusty and Ed had the sense to leave it alone for now; the other two might not. "Are we having dinner or not? Some of us are famished over here."

"Relax, Carmine will be here soon," Ivana twisted herself to spy the clock on the stove.

"Is that all you two eat?" Cha-Cha teased.

"You make fun, you can pay," Grace shot back.

"Do I look like I'm made of money?" Cha-Cha questioned, giggling.

* * *

"Could I take care of it?" he asked. If they were similar to Cha-Cha they wouldn't refuse free food. Plus he wanted something to do. Offering to buy dinner was something. And it'd give him an excuse to stand up later. And then seat himself closer to Cha-Cha...it was a comfort thing.

* * *

"I knew I liked you Ed!" Ivana beamed, taking Ed's other arm. Grace still clung to him from before, having not seen any reason to let got. The queens on the couch had made themselves quite comfortable indeed.

From talking to him, Rusty could see Ed was a good person at least. Obviously good to Cha-Cha, which was what really mattered. Plus Ivana and Grace had obviously approved. Was he just flashing his money though? Was he just putting on a show? She knew she was judging harsher, just becuse of the situation. But...well, so far Cha-Cha was happy. They'd talk more at dinner. Hopefully they'd get a chance to talk about the legal issue.

* * *

((Ed was worried someone would think he was showing off))

He had really only wanted an excuse to get up to move to Cha-Cha. Well, offering seemed like the gentleman's thing to do. But he had thought of the chance it'd come off showy. Then again how impressive would buying a pizza really make him look?

Even from across the room Ed could feel that vibe from Rusty. Similar to one Lieu had. Rusty was to Cha-Cha what Van Buren was to him? That _Can I trust you_ parent figures give off. Was he not passing the test or was she just taking her time?

* * *

Cha-Cha too could sense that vibe, and began searching her brain for something sweet Ed had done for her. Something not including money. Well...that was tough, alot of things took money. But Rusty still had to see what a good person Ed was. Even when he did things like paying for her, that was still appreciated and showed that he loved her. She wasn't exactly all that well off.

"Have you guys seen You've Got Mail?" she asked. They must have heard of it, at least. A man who would watch chick flicks with her? Priceless. Any one of them could recognize that.

* * *

Around any of his own friends, bringing up that he actually did enjoy the occasional chick flick would have been slightly embarrassing. Now, though, it seemed like a very useful habit. Yes, You've Got Mail was indeed loved by Ed.

"I have!" Ivana offered quickly. She looked around happily, wondering what the significance of that would be.

* * *

"Ed showed me it on our...second date? I think? Anyway, he has it on cassette," Cha-Cha informed them, proud of her man. He willingly paid money for romantic comedies. He had no problem sitting through them with her. That was impressive. "He even watched Titanic with me," she added, not mentioning how it put him to sleep. That had still been kind of nice though, to be honest. He may have been asleep, but he made a wonderful pillow. And an even better kleenex when she cried.

This was a plus to Cha-Cha's friends, even Rusty had to crack a smile. "Again, why didn't I meet you first?" Grace whined.

"You two have to come over here more often. We got a _ton_ of them," Ivana gushed.

"Yeah. It's amazing how many of mine I forgot to bring with me when I moved. Even the ones I swore I put in my bag. Not that you two would know anything about that..." Cha-Cha added with a smirk. The two other queens became very quiet.

* * *

Ed couldn't hide a small smile of his own. He looked at the guilty faces of the two beside him, then to Cha-Cha's smiling one. It was a Kodak moment. But she had had an impressive amount of movies in her apartment. How many could they have swiped? He knew what she was thinking about Titanic, and he was never believed when he said that he had just been so tired that day anything would have put him to sleep.

* * *

Even if Cha-Cha had never noticed before, she was bound to find out now. She had her very own detective living with her. That had to be good for something.

Ivana and Grace were saved with Carmine's knock on the door. Cha-Cha's old apartment didn't have a buzzer, meaning anyone could waltz right in at any time. Classy.

* * *

Offering to get it, Ed excused himself from the couch. The girls reluctantly released him.

Carmine looked surprised to see him there. He hadn't seen the detective for months, he assumed he'd left or been left. Spotting Cha-Cha inside, it made a little more sense. Carmine handed the food over, chatting a bit with the longest love interest of Cha-Cha's he'd ever met.

* * *

Cha-Cha waved from her chair, too lazy to actually stand up. Maybe later. Only if Ed would take her place, and only if she could sit herself back down in his lap.

Ivana and Grace were never too lazy for Carmine, though. Before long they'd wormed their way in front of Ed, treating Carmine in a way similar to how they did Cha-Cha's man when they first met. Only even more enthusiastically.

"Don't take it personally, Ed," Rusty teased good naturedly.

* * *

Ed laughed lightly and looked for a place to set the pizza down. He knew the effect Carmine had, the idea of him itself occasionally made Cha-Cha's eyes light up. Nothing personal taken whatsoever, especially since it was the two of them and not his girl running over there.

With Ivana and Grace distracted, Ed went to stand beside Cha-Cha's chair. "How're we doing?" he asked quietly, still unable to read Rusty as well as he'd like.

* * *

"Good," Cha-Cha replied without much elaboration. Rusty was still close, and it was likely they'd hear whatever the two of them would talk about. They needed some privacy. "I'm gonna get some plates down. Ivana and Grace are busy," she added with a grin. Hands were touching chest, that was all she was saying. Standing up, she took Ed's hand and led him back towards the kitchen.

* * *

He had to admit, that sort of welcome for himself would have been incredibly awkward. Carmine could have it all to himself...

Following Cha-Cha into the kitchen, he hoped he'd get an idea of how she thought the evening was going so far. It seemed alright to him at the moment, but he wasn't sure if everyone knew everything yet. If they did they were remarkably accepting. He had a feeling that wasn't really the case. "Well...?" It was the only think he could think of, unsure what to ask.

* * *

"Rusty knows," Cha-Cha replied, leaning up to open the cupboard. "She read it in the news though, and I was trying to explain the truth to her. Well..." she paused. "I think she likes you. I think she will like you. But after all that...she just needs some time, I guess," she shrugged. It wsas understandable, to e honest. Lennie didn't fall in love with her when she first met. "As for Ivana and Grace...I don't think they know."

* * *

"I got the feeling they didn't," he admitted, almost grinning. They'd gotten way too up close and personal for him to think they knew about Bunny and Starr. "How do you want me to do this... tell them bluntly or find a way to lead up to it..?" he asked. If there..was...a way to lead into it gracefully.

* * *

Good question. "We need to be honest with them," Cha-Cha used the word 'we'. She wasn't about to leave him alone to deal with them. That wasn't fair, and she wanted them to love him just as much as he did. "And we need to tell them soon. Otherwise they might think we were keeping it from them..." they always had to be informed of what was going on. Even when it was none of their business. This, though, she'd say was their business.

* * *

He nodded in agreement. "But I can't think of a way to bring it up..." Was their a right and wrong way to say it? "I don't think 'by the way' would be right. Any ideas? Or do you think Rusty might say something?"

* * *

"No. Um..." Cha-Cha thought about it, going into the drawer for some cutlery. They probably wouldn't end up using it, but stalling was allowed. "I don't know if Rusty will say anything. I know she wants to talk to you about it, but...it would almost be easier if Ivana and Grace didn't know at all," she admitted. But they couldn't do that to them, could they? No, these were her two best friends she was talking about. Besides, if they found out later it would be much worse in the long run. "Well...maybe I should say something? Try and ease them into it? Maybe we can tell them how Lennie found out about us. They'd get a kick out of that," Cha-Cha laughed weakly. Well they might!

* * *

"If it had happened to anyone but me, I probably would have found it funny too." But already the seriousness was wearing off and it was kind of amusing. It could have been much worse. "Then how will we go from that to the rest of it? Just...a guess so I can follow." Lennie found out so I killed someone wasn't the exact order of things.

* * *

"Well didn't Lieu have a suspicion? That's what he told you, right?" Cha-Cha asked. Suspicion led to conviction. They would just have to add in somewhere that Ed was rightfully convicted. Well, not rightfully, but he did kill the man. "It's kind of a jumpy path from that to the actual thing...I dunno, just trying to think."

* * *

Ed couldn't get better hours because Lieu was suspicious of him. Lennie found out, but it didn't help the Lieu issue much. Ed's next case led them to an old problem, like we said Lieu was already concerned, and just...try to explain what happened from their? It could work.

Hearing a door close, he assumed Carmine had gone. Dinner time. "Can we go in order, with everything, so they don't freak out before we get to the 'He had a reason' part?" Or even tell the Starr part first? Or something. Waiting to announce he was innocent at the end may work well for tv shows or mystery novels, but not when you're trying to impress your girlfriends friends.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded in agreement. "They need to know you're innocent, yeah. We'll make sure they know," she decided, sighing deeply. This wasn't going to be particularily easy. But they couldn't hold a grudge for that long, could they? Like she'd said so many times before, they needed to get used to Ed. He was staying.

* * *

Ed started for the other room. It was going to be fine. He was worried for nothing. The pizza box had already been opened and slices were missing. They were eating out here and not at the kitchen table, apparently. There probably wasn't enough room in the kitchen anyway. He waited for Cha-Cha to return with the unnecessary cutlery to see where she'd sit, so he could follow.

* * *

"Don't you guys use plates?" Cha-Cha teased, leaving them on the counter. She was way too lazy to go put them back. Ivana had stolen the comfy chair from Cha-Cha, leaving Grace on the couch. Cha-Cha stole the middle, patting the corner seat for Ed to take. Yes, she was taking her man all for herself. She was greedy. Sue her. Besides, he wasn't totally on his own. Rusty was in the other chair on the side of the couch closest to Ed. At least they'd be able to talk easily.

Ed happily seated himself beside her. Alright, so, who was going to start this thing? He grabbed pizza, taking a bite and chewing slowly. To the best of his evading ability, it was not going to be him. Unless Cha-Cha used those puppy dog eyes...

((Sorry Ed doesnt know how to start xD))

* * *

Okay, apparently she was the one bringing it up. Nobody was really talking. She racked her brain for a way to start it.

"I haven't had pizza in so long," she commented. "When was the last...oh. I guess that night Lennie found out, remember?" she faked a laugh. They hadn't had pizza, and she was pretty sure Lennie came over in the morning, but they didn't know what.

* * *

"Right," Ed agreed without thinking it over properly. Sure, he'd go with that. "That sure was exciting, wasn't it?" He successfully managed to keep all the sarcasm out of his voice, sounding mildly amused about the accident.

Ivana's eye widened. "I didn't know he knew!"

* * *

"Well, we didn't mean to tell him," Cha-Cha admitted, still laughing as though it were the funniest thing in the world. It was kinda funny, to be honest. Looking back. "You see Lennie doesn't knock."

"Oh, he _didn't_," Grace laughed. "Tell me you were clothed!"

"We were," Cha-Cha grinned. Well, pretty much. "We were just kissing, but still. Sort of gave it away," she trailed off. "Why did Lennie come over, anyway...do you remember, dear?" she looked to Ed, urging him to take the reigns a bit.

* * *

Personally Ed thought Cha-Cha was doing a great job on her own. But that wouldn't be fair. But he also didn't know how blunt or subtle he was supposed to be. Here goes. "Lieu, my boss," he clarified for the others, "was wondering what I was doing. Not at that exact moment," that would have been a little weird. "But...I was taking too many days off work to see Cha-Cha, and she thought it was something else. She wanted Lennie to figure out why I was gone so much."

* * *

There, that was a good way to get into it. Cha-Cha took a bite of pizza while he spoke, watching the other girls carefully. No big reactions yet, though she could tell Rusty knew where they were headed. The older queen was listening with interest.

"That's right," Cha-Cha nodded her head. "Well, I was the reason," she shrugged, smiling gently. "But...she sort of had other ideas. Of what Ed might be taking time off for. Even though Ed wasn't doing anything bad, and never has," she added quickly.

* * *

Rusty's raised eyebrow didn't go unnoticed. But it was only for a minute, and then she settled back into her chair to hear the story.

_I wouldn't say 'never'_ Ed thought, mentally grinning nervously. He was pretty sure he could think of a few things that would qualify. "Lennie couldn't tell Lieu much because it involved Cha-Cha, although we've told everyone now." Sort of told them, anyway. They know. If Cha-Cha could twist details, so could he. "We got a case soon after that brought up a lot of stuff from my past. And..." Alright, her turn again.

* * *

"A gay cop isn't a safe cop," Cha-Cha got out the saying quickly. Just so they knew he wasn't ashamed of her, embarrased by her, the like. If Cha-Cha could understand that, her friends could, right? "This case involved one of Ed's ex girlfriends...a drag queen."

"Who?" Ivana asked. Someone they knew?

"Starr...Lannen?" she looked to Ed, unsure. Not all queens used their original last names. "Anyway...Ed got involved," she didn't say how yet, though she knew it was the next question on everyones' minds.

* * *

Ed nodded. "I don't expect you to know her," he admitted. "She's a...bit older than you all." Except maybe Rusty. That would be...awkward? Helpful? Make it worse? He had no idea what effect one of them knowing her would have.

Ed briefly explained his gambling days, letting Cha-Cha cut in whenever she liked. Skipping over any details of his previous relationship with Starr, going right to meeting up with the old flame at the club. Lennie helped him, he couldn't help her. How Bunny took her over and Ed made him let her go. "I didn't run into Starr or Bunny after that." He wanted that out there most of all. No Starr whatsoever. "Until two weeks ago, anyway."

* * *

Finally some interest was perking up. Grace, having finished her pizza, was leaning over Cha-Cha slightly in order to hear better. "What happened two weeks ago?" she pressed on curiously.

Cha-Cha wasn't sure whether she should say it or not. Shifting a bit closer to him on the couch, she tried to think of something that would ease them into it. "Well...that's when Ed's case started. Bunny turned out to be a suspect..." she looked to him, wondering if he'd continue. It might be best for him to say.

* * *

"He had killed someone who owed him money. More than one, actually, but he'd never gotten caught." Maybe knowing he'd shot a guilty man would help? Of course, there hadn't been concluding evidence until after Ed killed him...skip that part too. "I called Starr to tell her what was going on, give her a warning that things weren't going to stay quiet for much longer. She panicked and went looking for him." Calling her was something he regretted, though he couldn't know what would have happened otherwise.

"I went to her house to calm her down but she'd already left looking for Bunny. We both got uptown about the same time. She tried to tell him to disappear because police were coming, but he thought _she_ had called the police..." If he hadn't been high, and he'd left, so many problems would have disappeared with him. "He was high and drunk, he fired at her...I came around the corner in time to...stop him."

* * *

Pretty much all parties other than Cha-Cha were on the edge of their seats at Ed's story. "Stopped him?" Ivana repeated. "Stopped him...how?" she couldn't figure out what that was supposed to imply. Was Starr okay? Where was Bunny now? Obviously Ed was fine, but what happened?

"There was nothing else Ed could do," Cha-Cha conditioned, making sure they knew that much. Her eyes drifted to Rusty. The newspaper, she knew, didn't cover alot of this information. Ed wasn't made out to be nearly as innocent as he actually was. "Cause as a police officer," and an all around good person, "you can't let an innocent person just get killed by somebody," even when that innocent person was an ex and you'd be risking your relationship with the drag queen you actually do love. If said drag queen could understand that much, so could her friends.

* * *

Ed could tell it still hadn't clicked for Ivana. Grace at least looked like it was dawning on her. Suddenly she didn't seem like she needed to lean over Cha-Cha to get a good look at him. Did he really have to spell it out for the other one though, cuz he'd rather just leave it like this. Hey, they told them, right?

No, they agreed to tell everyone everything. He nodded at what Cha-Cha said. "I had to shoot him."

Well _now_ Ivana got it. "Like the shoot him _dead_ kind of shoot him?"

"That wasn't my intention," he lied. Ed doubted even Cha-Cha knew that. While he did have a good reason, he'd also sort of snapped. He could have aimed lower, but he hadn't really been thinking. Bunny had just caused so many problems. No...he didn't believe that. It'd been an accident... In truth, even Ed didn't really know what happened that night.

* * *

"Of course it wasn't," Cha-Cha assured them. Uh oh. It wasn't anger but there was definitely some uncertainty in the girls' eyes. Well, it was a little shocking. Cha-Cha's reaction had been worse. "And it's all cleared up now. Starr is fine and a total sweetheart if anybody was wondering," Cha-Cha approving of Starr would have to guarentee that there was nothing going on between Ed and the other queen, right? Or, not that Cha-Cha knew of, anyway. But they'd been down that road before and she knew she had no competition for Ed.

"You killed him," Grace shook her head in disbelief. Cha-Cha sighed, putting a hand on her friend's.

"It's not like that, Grace. Not really..."

* * *

Bunny was a guilty man. He'd killed more people than Ed ever would. What he did to Starr he probably did to others before. Or worse. Who knew. And it's not like it was the first time Ed had to use that kind of force, unfortunately. And it was his job to protect the innocent. But Ed didn't want to overflow with excuses. "It _was_ an accident," he assured them. If Bunny had been sober maybe Ed wouldn't have had to shoot him.

* * *

"Ed would never do it intentionally," Cha-Cha promised the girls. She knew him. It wasn't possible. She wasn't sure who believed her and who didn't and tried to hide her disappointment. She wanted to take Ed's hand, but opted not to.

"But you're alright?" Ivana asked finally. "I mean, legally and all that?"

* * *

That sounded promising. "Yeah, I'll be fine. But like I said, my hours have been cut." He was still feeling insulted about that, but what could he do? At least he had a job, right? This was no time to be thinking he deserved better. Definitely a take what you can get moment. "I'll be home more," he offered, hopeful that would be good news now.

* * *

"Well, that'll be good," Ivana replied. Cha-Cha would enjoy that at least. If it was like they were saying, how could anybdy blame him for that? He did what he had to do. Better that it happened this way, right? It was still a little odd to think Cha-Cha's new man had killed a man, but...it could have been worse.

If Cha-Cha could hear Ivana's thoughts, she would love the other queen forever and ever. As it was, she still had no idea what to say.

* * *

He didn't think it'd be that unusual to hear that a detective had to use this sort of force. You heard it on the news every week. But he could understand that it usually wasn't someone a person knew face to face. It would be different. At least Ivana sounded alright.

* * *

"See? Everything's fine now," Cha-Cha reasoned. Maybe silence wasn't a bad sign. Maybe they just...didn't have anything to say. It could happen...to anyone other than her girls. Okay, silence was never a good sign with them, but...they could dream.

"Cha-Cha..want to help us put the dishes away?" Grace asked, meeting eyes with Rusty before looking at the blonde beside her.

"No. Why? We can talk here," Cha-Cha replied defensively, not moving.

* * *

That didn't sound good. And here he thought it might have gone over well. No screaming and mass chaos. They didn't run away from him. They didn't even _look_ that angry on the outside.

Ed wasn't sure what to say. He opted to stay silent. He'd said enough.

* * *

Rusty sighed. Of course she would be stubborn. "Ed," she asked gently. "Would you mind if we had some privacy?"

"Don't ask him that!" Cha-Cha shook her head. Whatever they had to say, it would concern them too. What, they'd ask him to leave so they could spead bad about him? Oh no. Not with her around.

* * *

Ed didn't particularly like being asked to leave, and he appreciated Cha-Cha insisting he stay, but if it would help at all for him to be out for a minute, he could take a walk to his car. Walk around the block if necessary. How much time did they want? Would simply standing in the kitchen suffice?

"No it's fine, Cha-Cha," he said. It wasn't really, but anything to appease the girls he'd try.

* * *

"No, it's not," Cha-Cha insisted. Anything they had to say, they could say it in from of Ed. Because they wouldn't be saying anything hurtful towards him, because she wouldn't sit there and take it. End of story. Yes, she was getting defensive. But it wasn't hard to tell when her girls were pissed, and Ed just didn't deserve it.

Fine then. Sighing, Rusty chose her words more carefully than she would when he wasn't in the room. No use offending the man. "Cha-Cha, are you...well, are both of you serious?" she asked.

"Are you out of your minds?" Grace added with considerably less tact. Ivana said nothing, watching the scene.

* * *

Serious about what they just explained or serious about being together? Either way the answer was yes. It seemed more directed at Cha-Cha, but he still felt like he should answer. "Yes." As for Grace's question, ignoring it would probably be better. His hand lightly squeezed Cha-Cha's knee, trying to tell her without words not to blow up at that.

* * *

"_Yes_," Cha-Cha said with exhasperation. "I told you, mama, I love him." Rusty's eyes travelled to Grace and Ivana's.

"Girl, you 'fall in love' with every guy you date," Grace pointed out, momentarily forgetting Ed's presence. Or simply not caring.

But Grace had no idea how much oppurtunity she'd had to leave. She didn't know how hard Cha-Cha was trying to make this work, and how much she wanted it to work out. She'd have no way of knowing, and Cha-Cha was trying to remember that. Still though, she couldn't help but feel angry at that comment. "I do not! Well...not really! Not actually, but this time, yeah, I do!"

* * *

That was jumbled, but he followed her for the most part. Unlike Grace, he knew what Cha-Cha was thinking. If she didn't feel strongly, if she didn't love him, she would be long gone by now. His hold on her tightened slightly. It was all he could think to do. He had no idea what would set them off.

* * *

"Please trust me. I think I'd know whether I really loved him or not," Cha-Cha pleaded. She was twenty five years old. Old enough to make her own decisions and love whoever she wanted to.

"But Cha-Cha...be honest. You're not always the best judge of these things..." Rusty pointed out. She always told her boyfriends she was in love, and those relationships lasted a week.

* * *

Okay, that was... Was he really that bad? He couldn't have been the worst boyfriend she'd ever had. And he was sitting right there.

Was it only that he shot someone? It was his job. And it was Bunny. Horrible to think that, but he couldn't help it. It wasn't a tragic accident where a model citizen was shot accidentally. True, an accident, but the world wouldn't stop because there was one less Bunny in it. Even the patrons of the club he visited regularly hadn't been surprised or grieving.

Were they holding suspicions about Starr? If Cha-Cha believed him, they should. She was the one who had the most to worry about when it came to her.

* * *

"We just don't want to see you get hurt," Rusty continued.

"None of us do," Grace continued.

"But it was self-defence," Ivana piped up finally. Cha-Cha had been trying to avoid eye contact with the other queens, and gladly directed her attention to the younger redhead. Yes, if they could keep going with that point, that would be fabulous.

* * *

"Thank you," Ed said to Ivana, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice. He knew they wouldn't be thrilled with their story, but that didn't mean he still wouldn't be annoyed with their reservations. Ivana smiled shyly, and it was almost unnoticeable. She kept glancing to Rusty nervously. It was obvious to Ed that her opinion meant more than any others.

* * *

Rusty sighed, this was harder than it should have been. Usually when a boyfriend didn't seem up to par, they didn't have to tell the girl with him beside her. Cha-Cha was insistant, though. "Cha-Cha, you've dated alot of different guys--"

"Not that many!" Cha-Cha protested. Rusty gave her a look. "What's your point?"

"All I'm saying is, why are you willing to put up with something like this? Why do you think it's a good idea to be involved with someone who..." she sighed, realizing how that came out. "No offense, Ed. Usually you wouldn't be here during this conversation."

* * *

Offense taken. "It's my _job_, and I was _defending_ someone. Would you want her with a man who looked the other way and let an innocent person die instead of Bunny?" And aside from this setback things had been going hunky dory for the two. It passed, he had no intention of making her put with anything further. He couldn't promise he'd never do something stupid for the rest of his life, who could make that promise? But he would try to be on his best behavior.

* * *

Ed had a point, but Cha-Cha wondered if they could see that. Her girls were stubborn as bulls. Guess where she inherited it from. "See? It could have been worse. It had to happen," was Ivana the only one who could see that?

To be honest though, Grace just didn't like his tone. "Neither," she answered Ed's question bluntly. "That may be true, but we got a right to get to know who Cha-Cha's seeing, and if we don't like him..."

"If you don't like him, don't talk to him, fine. But I like him," Cha-Cha interrupted, starting to get frustrated herself.

* * *

Green regretted his tone, but he'd meant what he said. Apparently he and Grace were not going to be the best of friends anytime soon.

His hand hadn't left Cha-Cha's knee. For a while he'd been wondering if maybe he should move it. Now it was going to be stuck to her like glue.

* * *

"Cha-Cha, I just don't think you've thought this through," Rusty coaxed. Grace had no tact and a big mouth. Maybe this could still get worked out without a fight.

Or not. Cha-Cha scoffed, shaking her head. "Oh, you have no idea. I have thought about this...way too much, if anything. Trust me, I have though about this. God _knows_ I didn't jump on Ed the second after this happened," she added, looking towards her man. He could definitely back her up on that.

* * *

He nodded. "True." Very true. They'd gone a few days without even speaking to each other in the middle of the mess. They weren't trying to convince them their relationship was perfect, but it worked. "And...I know you girls don't know me very well, but Cha-Cha and I have known each other for almost a year." Not dated, but known. It counted. They knew if the other's personality would clash with theirs or not by now. Knew how they felt by now.

* * *

"Right," Cha-Cha nodded, looking toward Rusty firsy. "Look, you can either believe some...bigoted...newspaper reporter, or you can take it from the horse's mouth. And by the way, the horse? Is your best friend. And the other horse is someone your best friend cares about more than almost anybody. Other than you guys. Obviously in a different way. Anyway," she shook her head. That horse business was just getting too complicated. "Grace, you were just about ready to take Ed home with you. He's the same person now as he was then. And like Ivana said, it was self de-fricking-fence. How can you honestly blame somebody for that?"

* * *

Grace still wasn't convinced. "He wasn't defending _himself_," she reminded them. "He was defending the girl-"

"Grace you know what they mean-" Ivana started.

"-who wouldn't have been there in the first place if he hadn't-"

"I agree, it was my fault," Ed interjected. They were going in circles. Would anything be accomplished?

* * *

"No it's not," Cha-Cha shook her head at him. "Well..not totally. And anyway...this isn't any of your concern is it?" she asked, looking towards Grace and Rusty again. That clearly sparked some anger, and she held up her hand quickly. "What I mean is, as a couple, we've already got it worked out. Whether you like Ed or not...I do. And he's staying," she made herself say what she'd planned to on the car ride over. "So...either trust me, trust my judgement, and let it go...or deal with it," she bit her lip.

"Cha-Cha..." Rusty started, and the blonde shook her head.

"I've thought this through more than once. It's practically water under the bridge for us now. You're lucky we even told you, we just though you should know. We thought you'd have the sense to look at all sides of the story," a little guilt-trip never hurt nobody.

Grace was obviously feeling a little guilty, but pride conditioned her to hide it. "Yeah, we was trying to," she muttered, causing Cha-Cha to sigh. Fine, touche, but still.

* * *

That pretty much got it all out there. Ed looked to Cha-Cha, expression asking 'Now what?' Did they leave? Stay and chat about something else? Personally he wanted out before he upset one of them further. Maybe if he was gone and they talked freely amongst themselves they'd cool off?

* * *

Ivana personally still didn't see what the big deal was. It was self-defence...or at leas, defence of an innocent person. Wasn't that was policemen were supposed to do? She knew she'd want it that way if she were Starr. And any one of them could be.

Cha-Cha was just as uncertain of where the evening was headed. There was an uneasiness about them, between the four of them, Ivana excluded. Was it really a good idea to stay right now? At the same time though, she didn't want to leave angry at anyone, or with either of them mad at her.

"So we'll agree to diagree. Good then," Cha-Cha said nervously, breaking the tense silence. And...she and Ed would just have to prove them wrong. She _did_ have good judgement...this time.

* * *

Was that a sign to leave or a signal to change topics? _Let's just go_, he thought. It would be hard for the night to be enjoyable now. Sigh. But if she wanted to see her friends, he'd just...sit here then. Participate in conversation. Maybe. Occasionally. Which wouldn't help to impress them but he was feeling defeated.

"Cha-Cha, there's ice cream," Ivana offered after another silence. Stay for dessert? Please?

((he'll talk though. he's just being emo))

* * *

Dammit, Ivana knew her weakness. Angry or not, it was very very hard to pass up ice cream. Unsure of what to say, her eyes drifted towards Ed, doing their best to resemble those of a puppy dog.

"Don't run off right away," Rusty agreed, getting up to go fetch the ice cream. Apparently the subject was being dropped. That was fine; she really wasn't planning on fighting with Cha-Cha that day. Or any time, really; Cha-Cha was a sore loser who refused to be the one in the wrong. Even when she really clearly was.

* * *

Awh, awh, the puppy dog eyes! He needed to get her sunglasses so he couldn't see her expressions. "You and your dessert," he mumbled to her, smiling slightly. How did that just make everything better?

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, her smile deepening. He was so easy. Just a cute look and sometimes a few kisses, he was putty in her hands. She wasn't sure kissing was a good idea right at the moment, but she would definitely take the hand on her knee and entwine it with hers. "You love me for it," she reminded him with a grin.

* * *

Ed squeezed her hand. "Yes, I love being suckered into things." He was going to say 'taken advantage of', but that could be interpreted the wrong way. They'd had enough awkward moments tonight.

When Rusty returned with the ice cream, Ed decided to follow suit and have some too. Peer pressure, everyone else was doing it.

* * *

Cha-Cha tried to cover the fact she was laughing with her spoon. The girls were talking about something or other, probably Carmine, and she was sneaking a glance at Ed every chance she got. The big strong detective was sitting there, eating ice cream. Strawberry, no less (with a scoop of chocolate, no less, because you couldn't not have that). It was extremely cute, no matter what he said.

* * *

Ed noticed her looking at him, and rolled his eyes. "What?" What was so amusing about eating ice cream? So it was pink, big deal. Eating food was not cute. He did not do cute, that was left for her. Why couldn't ice cream be black? Then he wouldn't be stared at.

* * *

"It's just funny, is all," Cha-Cha teased. Adorable. Somehow she didn't think calling him that would go over well. "Do you like jello, Ed? Cotton candy? Cause this ice cream thing is a new development and I think I love it," she smiled, wanting him to know she was just playing with him.

* * *

Ed scoffed and shoved another spoonful into his mouth so he wouldn't have to answer. _Girls_. He was grateful Grace decided to talk to Cha-Cha about something else. A light upbeat conversation to make up for earlier.

* * *

Just as soon as the argument had come up, it had died down again. The other queens seemed content to simply ignore Ed's exsistance (for the most part; they'd smile politely when Cha-Cha dragged him into things. Which happened often). But grudges weren't often held between Cha-Cha and her friends; they were too close for that. Grace and Cha-Cha were laughing and joking around much like they had at the beginning of the night. The only difference, no one but Cha-Cha and Ivana were trying too hard to include Ed.

* * *

He was not entirely surprised they tried to squeeze him out of the conversation now and then, but he could find a way to comment on almost anything they said. Cha-Cha also had a remarkable talent of bringing him in too. Occasionally a topic would come up that he couldn't pretend to find interesting for long, like shopping, and he'd take a break and let them go at it.

* * *

"And there was this really cute, short one at the thrift store on--you know the one, we went there all the time! It's like...gold or somethin', completely your style," Grace gushed.

"I think I saw that one!" Cha-Cha exclaimed, thinking back. It _was_ her style. "Remember, Ed? The one I almost tried on and didn't?" she asked her boyfriend with wide eyes. They'd never gone shopping before, but if it got him in the conversation...yes, she was lying about her boyfriend, something she said she'd never do. But maybe she wasn't totally lying. Maybe she'd get a shopping trip out of this!! "What did you think?"

* * *

Ed laughed. The one topic that would be hard for him to fake. "You mean you didn't try the entire store on?" Hadn't she learned by now he was not the one to go to with these things? Besides, he thought everything looked great on her. If he had gone, how would he remember what he was supposed to have liked the most? He would imagine that it'd feel like they'd been there all day, at least. "I liked it." Safe answer. He probably would have meant it if he'd actually seen something.

* * *

"You like everything," she teased him. The funny thing was, he meant it when he said it, in most cases. Having Ed around did wonders for an ego that needed no assistance. "One day I'm gonna come home in a...paper bag or something and you'll still think it's gorgeous," she added, laughing with her girls since they'd have to know what she was talking about. Boys!

* * *

He laughed again. That was true. She'd really have to try for him to dislike something. She had _strange_ outfits on some days, but they were her, and couldn't be considered bad. And you know, it baffled him sometimes that he'd known her for so long, and now he lived with her, yet she _still_ managed to appear some mornings in clothes he'd never seen. Where did they come from? "I probably will," he agreed finally.

* * *

Simple. Cha-Cha was a relatively good shopper (still some splurges here and there, but who didn't?), and a pack rat. If she put her mind to it, she could buy a good amount of clothes and store it away in a small closet. If she put her mind to it. "You probably can't tell the difference from one thing to the next," she added with a laugh. It wasn't his fault though; few men could.

* * *

"I'll catch on eventually." Yeah okay probably not. Though if Cha-Cha went through his closet it would be just as foreign. Then again he had surprised her a few times this week, dressing much more relaxed than when he had to work. Jeans were allowed when he wasn't leaving the house. He'd definitely scrubbed the past ten or so days, and he dreaded having to get up early again. Ed missed work a lot, but he could get used to sleeping in everyday and lounging around for hours at a time...

* * *

"At least I can tell my clothes apart! I don't know how men do it. You go through life wearing the same suit every day," Cha-Cha shook her head. By this point the converstaion had died down, the two of them being the only ones still talking. She hadn't noticed. "When it's not a suit, it's like...the same shirt in three different colours," she tsked. Not a fashion statement at all.

* * *

It slipped Ed's mind too that there were other people in the room too. "It's _not_ the same one," he said, rolling his eyes. "And...there's a dress code at work. Half...a lot...most of what I own follows it, because it's all I did." But he wasn't wearing a suit now. He hadn't touched a suit in two weeks. What he had on now was an improvement compared to clothes as of late, though. He looked nice. "If you want me in something else you'll have to drag me out of the apartment." Oh no, don't give her ideas.

* * *

Cha-Cha sat up a bit, her eyebrows raising. "Is that a challenge or an invitation?" she asked hopefully, glancing towards her girls. They weren't paying too much attention. But it would be so much fun!

* * *

"I didn't say anything." The things he got himself into.

Oh yeah, the girls were still here. And zoning out the first time Ed had more than a one sentence contribution to the conversation.

* * *

"Yes you did! Yes you did! I'm holding you to it. I just havr to drag you..." she looked towards her girls, practically kneeling on the couch due to her excitement. "This might take more than one queen, ladies," she announced. Ivana looked towards the others, waiting for someone to say something.

"Hmm? What would?" Grace asked. It was clear she knew exactly what Cha-Cha was talking about, had just chosen to ignore them. Cha-Cha's excitement deflated a bit.

* * *

"Count me in," Ivana said when no one volunteered. Plus she wanted to anyway. "He'll need the extra help. No offense."

"None taken?" He couldn't be mad at his only supporter.

"Could we make it the three of us?" she continued. "So I don't have to fight Grace off to get to know him more?" Ivana directed the question to Cha-Cha, as if Ed couldn't answer himself. Anyway it was her attempt at giving her friends a way out. If they wanted to come they could complain to be included.

* * *

Grace snorted. Cha-Cha frowned. "I think we'd better, Ivana. There would defnitely be a fight. I mean, you'd have to be crazy not to love this one," she gestured to Ed. "I mean full out insane. I mean totally loony. I mean completely--"

"He's all yours Cha-Cha, no worries," Rusty smiled softly. Okay, she could at least pretend to make an effort. Moreso than Grace did, anyway, But Cha-Cha knew how Grace could be sometimes.

* * *

Ed looked around awkwardly. Oh yeah. A fight would erupt. And besides, "I didn't agree to anything..."

"Oh that's okay, you don't have to," Ivana beamed. It was beyond his control now. He was going.

* * *

"It'll be fun, lover," Cha-Cha cooed, ignoring the party pooperd for the moment. Fine, they could be sticks in the mud. The three of them could talk and have fun. "First lesson; there are colours other than white, black, and grey."

Ivana blinked. "Are...are you serious?" she stared at Ed. "Oh honey, oh _lord_ yes. You poor thing."

* * *

"You never complained about this before," he pointed out. "Just waiting until you outnumbered me?" He was not a poor thing. He was a professional. And he had blue...ish black. His ties changed often?

* * *

"Always," Cha-Cha replied with a grin. What? It was just easier that way, she was not a coward. Besides, if he was serious about the dragging, one of him would require about three of her. Man was fit. So see? She had an excuse. Really.

"The ice cream went way too fast," Grace moaned over her empty bowl. Cha-Cha could've been annoyed by the interruption, but when she had a point, she had a point. Ice cream always went much, much too fast.

* * *

Ed was glad to have the pink ice cream - and apparent source of teasing - out of his hands. As delicious as it was. A little was enough for him. Dessert's done can we go? Although he had to admit the atmosphere had lightened up.

* * *

"What time is it?" Cha-Cha asked, having lost all sense of it. What time had they gotten there, anround five-thirty? It didn't feel like they'd been there that long, but then again, time flew. She tried not to make it obvious that 'what time is it' was her attempted code for, 'do you wanna head home'. Not that she didn't love her girls, but she'd had enough awkward for one night.

* * *

"Eight," Ed answered. He may have been subtly checking his watch often. Sue him.

"You're not leaving, are you?" Ivana pouted, knowing the signal. She'd double dated with Cha-Cha before. That was always the 'well it's been great but-' starting line for the end of the evening. At least she was enjoying their visit and sad to see them go.

* * *

"Well, I dunno...are we?" Cha-Cha looked at Ed, then towards her girls. Chances were, they'd get the bigger say. Grace sighed while Rusty at least appeared to agree with Ivana. Whether she just felt like she had to be supportive, though, was unclear to Cha-Cha.

* * *

Well Ed wasn't going to say _Yes I demand we leave right now_ or anything. "No hurry..." he said. Just...not too much longer?

* * *

"Didn't you have to get up early tomorrow?" Cha-Cha asked him with wide eyes. Okay, a white lie. But really, it was getting late, anyway.

"Ed is off work for a bit," Ivana supplied helpfully.

"Appointment...with the doctor," Cha-Cha stuttered.

* * *

Okay sure yeah... "I didn't want to make you leave early tonight," he said, sounding apologetic. "But it is at eight thirty..."

"What kind of doctor?" Grace asked quickly.

"Optometrist," Ed answered without hesitation.

"Glasses?" she asked skeptically. Ed hadn't expected her to even know what an optometrist did.

"Contacts."

She leaned over Cha-Cha again to look at him. "But you don't have any in now?"

"It's why I'm going tomorrow."

* * *

"Guess who drove here?" Cha-Cha asked, laughing softly and touching Ed's arm. Just joking around. She had a driver's liscence once...when she was eighteen. She lost it at nineteen and still didn't have it back. Red lights were tough! "Really though, you can barely do your crossword puzzles, the prescription is so weak," what? Ed might enjoy a brain teaser every so often. That New York Times one was tricky. Okay...so she was just having fun with the lie now. Who could blame her?

* * *

Did he really look like the kind of guy that would do crossword puzzles? Come on. Occasionally maybe, but not enough for them to be considered 'his' or anything. Next time the lie was going to be involving her. And something weirder than an optometrist. "Yeah...So I guess now would be a good time then." He tried to sound put out.

* * *

"Probably," Cha-Cha sighed softly. She didn't expect too many of the girls were buying their thin lie; especially not Rusty. Nevertheless, Cha-Cha began to stand up, slipping back into the heels she'd slid off her feet. The girls stood up too, following them towards the door.

Rusty pulled her aside quickly. "You call me if you get any doubts, alright?" she asked the younger of the two. It...wasn't her blessing, but it was acceptance at least. Reluctant acceptance, but better than nothing. "If you need a place to stay, my door's always open..."

Cha-Cha beamed, kissing Rusty's cheek. "I know, mama. Ours too, you know. Just like...knock and everything. Give us warning," she giggled.

* * *

Ivana was the only other one close enough to overhear, and she snickered quietly. She jumped on Cha-Cha, wanting to be the first to hug goodbye. Grace followed after.

Surprisingly Ed didn't dart out the door. He made himself stay for goodbyes and for the right amount of time. He even gave Ivana a one armed hug, an arm around her shoulders, while saying "It was nice to meet you." She looked like she was going to fall over faint. Ivana couldn't help looking at Grace with a slightly smug look afterward. Even if they were questioning his personality, on the outside he was still gorgeous, and he just hugged her. And no one else. He waved at the other two as he gave a generic "Goodbye" on his way out the door.

* * *

Cha-Cha nearly laughed out loud on the look on Ivana's face. Despite any concerns, it was very hard for Grace to keep her envy hidden. Taking Ed's hand again, she headed out the door.

Squeezing Ed's hand once it was closed, she began heading down the hallway. "Well?" she was almost afraid to hear his opinion. Not many of them were trying too hard to be nice. But they weren't really like that...

* * *

It was kind of hard to like people who obviously didn't want you there. But he was trying. "I liked Ivana," he answered honestly. "Rusty and Grace, you know, maybe next time..." Though Rusty had definitely tried harder.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, nodding her head. She couldn't blame him. "They'll come around," she promised, completely sure of this. What, they were just gonna ignore Ed forever? She wouldn't let them. "We just need to prove it to them, and they'll love you as much as I do. Well, hopefully not that much, but you know," she laughed softly.

* * *

"Yeah, I know what you mean," he said, laughing too. And a good thing it wouldn't be that much. Four Cha-Cha's? Not enough time in a day to keep them all happy. And the fact that the original probably wouldn't want to share... "When is next time?" When the five would be together again. Five. Not three. Because he still hadn't agreed to a shop tripping.

* * *

"I dunno," she thought about it as she stepped onto the elevator. "I like to see them as much as possible, but it's hard getting down there. Of course with a car and a driver it's alot easier..." hint hint double hint.

* * *

"I can bring you if I'm not working," he offered. He wouldn't stay every time though. Not until he wasn't considered a stranger at least. That reminded him... "Do I have to go back to work?" he complained slightly. "I like seeing you all day."

* * *

"I wish," Cha-Cha replied, grinning. "Or I could just hide in your briefcase and pop out when you're bored at work. I'm sure no one would notice," she giggled. Actually, that was sort of a question in itself. What were the rules for visiting at work, now that everybody knew? She wouldn't mind seeing him through the day, but she'd understand if that still wasn't a good idea. She'd gone nearly a year not doing it, it wasn't a big deal.

* * *

"If you're in the area we can do lunch," he said. Usually girlfriends didn't come in to visit while on the clock, whether they were known about or not. Just emergencies mostly. He smiled as they got off the elevator and went to the car. "But I can't leave Lennie alone everyday." The man needed a lunch partner too.

* * *

"Well I like Lennie," Cha-Cha grinned. Okay, that would only be a little awkward. Hey, maybe she could get Rusty to come with them. Double date, anyone? Ha, ha. No. Maybe not. "I'd love to have lunch with you though. It'll be lonely without you," she added. Well, she'd lived alone without him before, but it would still be lonely. Especially considering the past few weeks; Cha-Cha had been especially spoiled when it came to Ed's attention.

* * *

"Maybe he'll want to come with us," he suggested hopefully. Lennie had gotten to know her a little bit more recently. She'd certainly helped him out. Maybe he started to like her? Ed at least hoped he'd understand if he was slow the first days back, going through Cha-Cha withdrawal and all. And getting back into the groove of early mornings.

* * *

"Maybe. Or I could be greedy and steal you all for myself," Cha-Cha added with a laugh, stepping into the lobby. It was no secret Cha-Cha was very very greedy. She knew her girls would swarm at first of course...but they had to remember who Ed was going home with. That was a must.

* * *

Ed laughed along with her. "That'd be nice too." He wrapped an arm around her waist before they were outside. Could they be seen from the girl's apartment window? Would the three bother to look? He hoped so.

After he opened the car door for her, he stopped her from getting in just yet. Tugging her closer to him, he kissed her.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled into the kiss. Briefly she wondered the same thing as he did, but by the time he was kissing her, she really couldn't care less. Besides, they were going to kiss each other many more times, all being well. Time for them to get used to it. "Just give them some time, and it'll turn out," she promised, getting into the car.

* * *

"Them?" he asked, as if he had forgotten which building they were standing out of, and quite possibly who may be watching. "Oh. I just felt like kissing you, Cha-Cha," he said, moving to get into his own side. "Where we are and who's around had nothing to do with it." She wasn't the only one who could smile innocently. "But speaking of that, wanna race who we win over first? I'm betting Lennie and Lieu." Because his friends were better! No just kidding.

* * *

"Well...you can feel like that any time," she grinned. Infront of whoever, whenever. Cha-Cha had very little shame; if he didn't know it then, he'd soon find out. "Wait, why them?? No way. It'll be Grace and Rusty. Trust me, they can't resist an attractive man for long." Cha-Cha was also very competitive. That much, he probably knew already.

* * *

"Why? Because Lennie had a head start. I could probably think of five other reasons off the top of my head too." His partner wouldn't let him down. "But if somehow you win, you can have dinner wherever you want."

* * *

"Well see? Exactly. That's not even fair. But I will point out that we have Ivana on our side. She lives with Grace and can help convince them. They team up to get Rusty, who may I add is already sort of half accepting..." she pointed out. "Yeah, and if you win? Do I want to know?"

* * *

"I never said it had to be fair. I'm not above cheating on this." Lennie had already called her. Didn't have any grudges against her, all she'd done in the last week was try to help him. Lieu would be easy. And he only had two to win over, Cha-Cha had three. Well Ivana...

Did she want to know? "What are you expecting me to ask for?" he asked with a laugh. "I was probably going to take you out to make you feel better about losing. However afterward, if you've got something in mind..."

* * *

"Well! Then...how about I just have to convince Rusty? Cause Ivana probably likes you as much as Lennie likes me, and Lieu's got no reason to hate me. Then we'll all tackle Grace together cause that girl is crazy stubborn," she decided. And Ed thought Cha-Cha was bad? Please. Though if all her friends were onboard, maybe Grace would turn herself around too... "Let's go with your idea," she decided with a laugh.

* * *

"I have Lieu and you have Rusty?" He got a little lost. "I dunno I liked you having Grace on your list." Made it sound much easier for him. "And I'm rethinking my reward for winning, too."

* * *

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure Lieu can deal with me. She smiled, at least. And she gave you your job back. Grace is like ten times meaner that, to be honest," the truth was the truth. Well, not mean, but...loud and opinionated. Which sometimes came off as mean. Just sometimes. "No way! I liked it better when your prize was something I'd enjoy, too," she smirked.

* * *

Ed raised an eyebrow. "Who said you wouldn't? Just for that I think I will change it." Anyway, Lieu seemed easier than Rusty, too. Good luck to Cha-Cha.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled into her hand. "I'm teasing you, baby. You rock my world. Really," she grinned to herself. He really did, but it was more fun to play with him. Make him second-guess himself. Wonder of she was joking. What a nice girlfriend she was!

* * *

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled. She'd better be joking. "You're sleeping on the couch tonight anyway." If sleeping with him was no good. He wondered what she would do if he really sent her away from the bed.

* * *

"Pardon? You know I'm not serious," Cha-Cha whined. Yeah, right. Like he'd make her do that, right? Well...she could change his mind. "We go from random kisses to me on the couch? I don't even know how that works," she shook her head. Though, she kind of got the idea that he was just teasing her, too. Or at least, he'd better be.

* * *

If Ed weren't driving he'd randomly kiss her again. But that not being the case..."Watch what you say and you won't have to worry about it." He smiled like he was kidding, but it had an underlying slyness that would leave one still slightly wondering.

* * *

Cha-Cha watched him, silently hoping he was playing around too. She teased him all the time, but that was all it was. "You'll just have to remind me how good you are," she decided with a grin. Something that couldn't be done with her on the couch. Unless he was there with her...

* * *

He sighed as if it would be a chore. "Well I dunno, my self esteem just plummeted. Maybe if I feel like it later..." Like she said, she teased him all the time. Opportunities to return it were harder to find, as strange as she was. Could he help it if he wanted to drag this out?

* * *

"How later?" Cha-Cha moaned, her forehead creasing. Great. Now he was holding out from her? Whether he was teasing her or not, there were certain things she did need his assistance with. But he couldn't deny her for too long, could he?

* * *

"Ask me in a week, I'll let you know how I'm feeling." He couldn't look at her and laugh because he had to focus on turning a corner. Could he go seven days without touching her? Absolutely not. She knew that.

* * *

"A _week_?" Cha-Cha asked in disbelief. No way. No, no, no way. He thought he couldn't go a week? That was ridiculous. She hadn't gone a week since...well, she'd gone plenty of weeks without it. But that was before she met him. "I thought you meant like an hour or something! Lord Ed, you take things serious."

* * *

Driving in a straight line now, he felt okay looking away from the road for a few seconds. Chuckling he took one hand off the wheel to hold her chin gently. "I'm only kidding hun," he assured her, glancing back and forth from her to the road. Look he was already back to touching her! "I'd kiss you to prove it but I'm sort of busy."

* * *

"So was I," she replied, though she was smiling again. It was hard not to when he did that. And when he called her 'hun'. Especially that. "Eyes on the road, mister," she reminded him with a grin. She was gorgeous, she knew, but hopefully not that distracting. If they ended up in an accident, well, that wouldn't help either of their causes, would it?

* * *

Ed's hand returned to the wheel. He enjoyed teasing as much as she did. Something they had in common, make a note to mention that to the girls next time. Next time...well he should at least try to make a good impression, right? And if doing something they liked would help, like...shopping, well, he'd do it.

It wasn't that he never did. He got new clothes now and then. Cha-Cha just couldn't tell because his dress code at work didn't allow a whole lot of obvious change. And he wasn't the type, aside from recently, to scrub on the weekends, so he didn't have a lot of average looking clothes. Suits and ties were him basically. And getting suits and ties were fine. But who knew what two drag queens would get him into? Where would they go, even? Probably not his normal places. But he needed to get on their good side somehow. Letting them embarrass him all day would do it.

"So do you really want to do something with me and Ivana?" he asked. It seemed backwards. In movies didn't the girl want the guy to go from blah to professional looking? He was already there! And besides, that first day home after the murder he'd been dressed in his most _unprofessional_ and scrubby clothes and she'd hardly recognized him. And she'd looked annoyed.

* * *

"I think we should. Get her even more on our side. See if the others want to some too, but if not...well that's just fine," Cha-Cha hmphed. They'd just miss out on an opportunity to dress up a handsome man in bright colours. And note; to dress him up, they'd have to undress him first. They had to be crazy. "You will learn to love shopping yet, my dear. We make it fun!"

* * *

"Just take it easy?" He really wasn't looking forward to it at all. But Ed was wrapped around her finger, and if she wanted it, he'd try. Once. And never again. After this if she wanted him in something else she could just bring it home herself. And no guarantees even then.

* * *

"I know baby, you're a first timer. You might like it, though. We're all about the experience," Cha-Cha pointed out. Sure, the clothes were very important. But they also ended up eating ice cream and making fun of people. Ed had probably always just bought what he needed, when he needed it.

* * *

Get what he needed and get out. That was his philosophy. Always under forty five minutes for the total trip. Never an all day event. "Alright. But just so you know, I'm not going to just stand there if you try to get me in something ridiculous. It has to be something I'd at least consider buying." The horror that would ensue if she had free reign...

* * *

"Okay, okay, fine. But you have to be at least a little open-minded. Let me put you in some colour, at least. Do you know how good you would look in green? No pun even intended," she added with a laugh as she realized what she'd said. Really, though, he had such pretty skin, he'd look good in all sorts of colours. Nice button-up shirts. With a couple buttons undone...to breath, of course. Just for that reason.

* * *

Ed rolled his eyes as they neared their apartment's parking lot. "There's a _reason_ I don't wear that color. 'Green's in green' gets old after thirty eight years." Actually it had only taken about two and a half. Elementary school in the learning color years was not fun.

* * *

"But!" Cha-Cha sighed. That was a silly reason. The people on the street didn't know he was a Green, they would just think he was a very handsome man. In green. Wasn't that appealing to him? "Fine. What about blue? Or yellow, I love yellow. Oh, you have to get red," she decided, making a list in her head. So far, pretty much all the colours of the rainbow were on the list, plus a few things in between. Whether he liked it or not.

* * *

Purple, no. Pink, no. Orange...probably not. Blue, red, yellow, sure. And fine, he'd forgive the torment green had made him suffer through. Picky? Him? Never. "I won't be able to wear it to work, you know." When was he supposed to-oh yeah, he had Tuesdays and Thursdays off now.

* * *

"Deal. But you have to wear it for me cause you'll look handsome," Cha-Cha bargained. Not that he didn't usually, but he needed some variety. Colour would do wonders for him. "And it would make me happy," could he really pass it up then? When Cha-Cha was happy, she generally found ways to make him happy, too.

* * *

"And everything is about you, right?" That actually wasn't even that sarcastic. His schedule, basically his life really, was now planned around her.

Finally he was parking. Ready to be home.

* * *

"Absolutely," Cha-Cha laughed softly. Who was complaining? She was glad to be home with him. Driving was nice, but there were things that were hard to do while his hands were on the wheel and his eyes on the road. Like kissing, for example. She didn't go to him, though; instead waited for him to lean into her. She sort of like the random affection she was getting earlier.

* * *

Ed removed the keys and pocketed them. He turned to face her. It was cute how she was sitting there so expectantly. He grinned, leaning towards her slowly. Fully intending to kiss her lips, he changed his mind at the last second and kissed her nose before getting out of the car.

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned, climbing out of the car. A kiss on the lips was nice, but creativity got him points too. As they walked towards the door, she didn't take his hand. Tonight, he could come for her.

More so it was an attempt at restraint for herself. If he didn't make the first move, she knew she was going to end up doing it. But dammit, she was going to try to resist him. Just this once. What was so hard about it? He was just a man.

An incredibly good looking man. Who was all hers. Yeah, good luck to her, indeed.

* * *

Ed was trying to stick with his hands off threat as well, even though he'd been joking. For the first time in ages they rode the elevator without touching. But there was the normal talking about their days adventures, it wasn't like they were ignoring each other. He unlocked the door and put his hand on her waist momentarily as they entered the apartment, then headed for the couch to sit down and relax.

* * *

Cha-Cha watched him, unsure of where to go. Would sitting beside him count as going to him? She decided it was safe, as long as she didn't crawl into his lap. Who was she kidding? It would be incredibly hard to do that.

She sat in the other corner, keeping her hands clasped politely in her lap and an innocent smile on her face.

* * *

Ed turned on the television. "Movie or tv?" he asked. Already flipping through the On Demand movies, he waited for her answer. "What do you think?" He didn't care either way.

* * *

Movie or tv? Seriously? But she was sitting across for him, all innocent like, which was not an easy thing for her to achieve. And he was actually looking at pay per view? "Tv," she decided after a second. Whatever it was wouldn't be on very long. Better to not pay for a whole movie.

* * *

"Kay." Ed shifted a bit in his corner to bring his legs up on the couch, stretching out but making sure he didn't kick her all the way on the other end. He looked for a minute then just chose something that sounded familiar. He glanced at her, and knew what she was thinking. But it couldn't be considered weird if he didn't jump on her every single spare moment, right? Normal people could go an hour without that. Though they had been at Rusty's a while...but making her sit there waiting was fun. Because technically he wasn't doing anything to bother her, he was just sitting there.

* * *

Cha-Cha looked at his feet. Well, he was just making himself comfortable, wasn't he? It only put more space between them. Sighing, she sank deeper into her corner. This was going to be a very long night if neither of them did anything.

* * *

He'd accidentally stumbled across a movie he ended up finding interesting. Originally he'd planned to just make her sit there ten minutes then laugh and jump on her. But...an hour went by and he was still watching television. He was a guy. It was a guy movie. These things happen.

* * *

At the most, Cha-Cha had expected a half hour wait. That, she could stand. But time seemed to drag on, and she was getting nervous. Yes, people were getting blown up, but was that really more important that paying attention to her?

But if Ed was actually teasing her, no way was she taking the bait. She could wait it out just as long as he could. No, longer. That was for sure...or at least, that was what she'd be having him believe. An hour was child's play. Really. Before long, he'd be begging for her.

But until then...it took her about then minutes to come up with a plan. The next time a guy lost a limb, she jumped, pretending to be frightened. Movie violence didn't phase her, and it hadn't phased her all through the movie. She wasn't fooling anyone. Cha-Cha didn't take that into account.

* * *

The blow hadn't been particularly nasty or anything. Some war movie, you expected people to get hurt. He felt her jump and laughed. "That wasn't that bad," he grinned, not taking time to think about any ulterior motive she may have had. Not long after it was ending, but Ed stayed where he was throughout the credits and following commercials. It was on one of those channels that plays the same movie all day - and no one really knows why - and he began watching the opening titles.

* * *

What. Was. He. Doing. She tried not to let the shock show on her face, but honestly, she could hit him. What was he doing? They just watched this movie. They just finished it. All three and a half hours of it, or how ever the hell long it was. Absolutely not.

"Well, you know, I think I'm tired of tv," she decided, standing up.

* * *

Ed brought his feet back to himself, sitting up straight. He hadn't been able to help himself, it was a good movie, but now she looked mad. Or at least annoyed. "I'm sorry, what do you want to do?"

* * *

"I thought I was more interesting than headless army men," Cha-Cha hmphed. Granted, some of those blows had been kind of cool. Sort of. But still, honestly! Men. As soon as a little blood was shed, all bets were off for getting their attention. And she was _trying_ to get his attention! "Is that the same movie coming on again?" she added, looking at the screen. It looked like the same main character. Unless that actor just loved getting all exploded.

* * *

"We'd missed a little of the beginning," he said in his defense. The first fifteen minutes. Who knew what crucial information had gone unwatched? And they'd watched it together. And she could have scooted over if she was so offended by him being glued to the tv.

* * *

"Come on Ed," Cha-Cha moaned, shutting the tv off manually before the first explosion. Of course, he could easily flip it back on with the remote. But then he'd be making her mad, and he probably didn't want to do that. Hopefully. "I was _hoping_ for some time together actually," she complained, though she was letting a small smile get through. How dare he not be able to read her mind! How selfish of him, really.

* * *

"But we were together, we weren't a foot apart." It was true. From his spot he could have tapped her with his foot where she'd been sitting. Though he knew what she meant, or thought he did anyway. That plummeted self esteem was rising with knowing going just a few hours without him near was making her anxious.

He stood up too, walking over to her. "You could have said something, you know." Yep, her fault. And besides, he knew she had been planning on waiting for him to go to her. He was tired with being so predictable and easy.

* * *

"But who's decision was it to turn on the tv in the first place?" Cha-CHa pointed out. See? She couldn't just turn it off. He was enjoying himself. "I just thought maybe we could snuggle for a bir, since it's been so long," she added, still not touching him. Of course, that morning she spent a good amount of time cuddled up to him. And before they left. But still.

* * *

"Since when do you wait for an invitation?" he asked with a chuckle. He might have his favorite movie on, and she'd still climb into his lap to steal his attention.

Ed walked away toward their bedroom. Being introduced - and then disliked - by her friends was draining. Plus good things happened in this room... Through the movie he'd honestly forgotten he was teasing for a while. But she didn't fall onto him just then, which reminded him that she was probably still playing the game.

* * *

Cha-Cha watched him go. So he just assumed she'd follow him like a lost puppy? Well, maybe she didn't feel like it anymore. And if she could wait an hour for him to see his movie, he had to do the same for her, right?

She didn't follow him, and pretty soon the sound of the Shopping Channel was drifting toward the bedroom. Not that they were selling anything good at twelve at night, but...

* * *

He hadn't been sure if she'd come or not, and by the sound of it she was still determined to make him go after her. As if he didn't everyday anyway, he thought with a laugh. Normally she wouldn't have to try very hard for him to give in and do whatever she wanted. Why was today different? Because he decided it was. And because she started it a few hours ago in the car, that's why. He wasn't mad at all or anything, just determined to show her how he feels daily, being teased mercilessly.

Ed didn't move. He was under the comforter on their bed, and he was comfortable. Intending to just wait until she eventually came back, he accidentally nodded off.

* * *

Cha-Cha was still fully expecting Ed to follow her. Why wouldn't he? They both wanted the same thing, and he was used to not winning by this point. Ergo, pretty soon he should come crawling back, right?

Ergo, Cha-Cha ended up falling asleep waiting for him. Her own dumb pride wouldn't let her go into the bedroom. In the morning she'd realize what he told her came true--she spent the night on the couch--and she'd kick herself thoroughly.

* * *

They didn't quite make it til morning. Ed awoke around four thirty. He blinked slowly, then remembered why he was only under the comforter and not all the blankets. He had been expecting to throw it off soon. The detective rolled over to see he was alone. And just started laughing. Apparently neither one of them had been willing to give in last night, and Cha-Cha must have actually ended up on the couch. He'd only been joking when he suggested that.

Still laughing, but trying to at least be quieter about it, he went into the living room to gently wake her up. Kneeling beside the couch, he rubbed her side slowly, waiting for her to open her eyes.

* * *

Cha-Cha shifted a bit, opening her eyes slowly. Blinking, she stared at him for a moment, trying to make sense of it all. Wasn't their bed usually...more...not a couch? Then it came back to her, and the pout from only a few hours ago returned. "Was sleeping," she mumbled, shifting again into a more comfortable position. Or as comfortable as the couch ever got. Her neck was gonna be stiff all day.

* * *

She _would_ say that first thing in the morning, wouldn't she? "Your neck would kill you today if I didn't stop you now." See he cared. Still he rolled his eyes and laughed. "Sweetheart, what are we doing out here?"

* * *

It was already killing, thanks. Nice that he cared five hours later. Even though 'sweetheart' made her stomach leap, he wasn't getting away on that alone. "I don't know what _you _are doing, but _I'm _getting a good night's sleep," she insisted, reaching around to grab the blanket off the back of the couch.

* * *

"No you're not." She hardly took naps out here, she'd never get a restful sleep. Her head was sideways, but he could still kiss her, though slightly more difficult than normal. "Come on, you win. I'm out here now, and I want you to come back with me. This can't be comfortable." There, honesty.

* * *

"I think you already won this time," Cha-Cha replied. Look at where she was sleeping. She was smiling, though, and reached her arms put to wrap around him. Okay, he could win sometimes. And she did half win. "I hurt all over," she added.

* * *

"Poor baby," he laughed lightly. He started to stand up, and consequently she was lifted up too. He helped her to her feet, not letting her remain on the couch. It was great for everything other than sleeping. "Come on," he repeated, "I'll give you a massage or something." He had the satisfaction of winning, she'd have the satisfaction of feeling alive.

* * *

"Now you're just sucking up," Cha-Cha smirked softly. Not that she was complaining. Yawning into her fist, she began shuffling towards the bedroom. This time though she took his hand in hers. Random affection from his was nice, but he took too long sometimes. If you wanted something done, you had to do it yourself.

* * *

Ed let her hand go as he sat on the bed, scooting toward the wall so he could lean against the headrest. He spread his legs so she could sit in front of him, her shoulders within reach. It was almost five in the morning, and they were probably both tired. But even if they fell asleep after ten minutes they'd at least fall asleep together. A win/win right?

* * *

Cha-Cha climbed onto the bed, settling herself between his legs. Rather than sitting with her back against his chest, though, she went sideways, her legs across one of his and her side to his chest. Not a massage position, but easier to sleep in. That was pretty much all she was interested in doing at the moment.

* * *

Before he began, he wrapped both arms around her. Leaning close, he whispered "Never let me do that again." Letting her fall asleep on the couch. He missed her too much. As amusing as it had been.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled, getting as close as she could. Both arms wrapped across his middle, her head against his shoulder. "Do what?" she mumbled. It was starting to sink in again that it was five in the morning. Nobody should have to wake up that early when they didn't have to. Give her three or four hours more.

* * *

"Leave you out there alone." One arm stayed around her, the other moved to rub her neck. She'd be out in thirty seconds, he just knew it. Her eyelids were already drooping. Of course he couldn't blame her, it was late. Early. Whatever.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled, shifting against him and rubbing her cheek against his shirt. "Missed you too baby," she replied, grinning softly. It had been a few hours. They'd slept through most of them. It had been harder to sleep though. This was definitely better. By a long shot.

* * *

_Author Note: Did we wait too long to post? It takes a while to copy all these posts to . If no one is reading it might not be worth the effort and we may stop. Just wondering if the readers got bored waiting and don't check anymore. If there's even just one I will work on getting all our threads up here. Review so we know if you're here._

* * *


	18. An Open Mind

Ed is me. Cha-Cha is Operatic. STILL don't own anything. After all this time, too!

* * *

An Open Mind

"It won't be that bad," Cha-Cha coaxed as they headed down the street. They were meeting Ivana at the strip mall near the girls' apartment. After a short subway ride, it was only a few blocks down. There were some okay shops, for relatively cheap. Though prices weren't really an issue now, were they? Since he was footing the bill.

* * *

As far as he was concerned, price was an issue. He was not going to fork over a ton of money for clothes he'd only wear once. Around the house on a day off. "I'm with you, how could it be bad?" Uh oh, cheesy lines. The sign a man is panicking.

* * *

"Exactly," Cha-Cha nodded, missing the sarcasm. "I love you, Ivana likes you more and more each time you see her, and you can wear pretty much any colour ever. Sounds like a pretty good trip to me," she assured him. And really what could go wrong? Oh no, they were...going to run into Lennie. That would be pretty fun, actually. "Plus we have to get stuff for the trip anyway."

* * *

"You got me on that last part." Everything else was questionable. Ivana? Ed in color? Grey areas indeed. "So, how long do these things normally last?" He didn't mean to come off counting the minutes already, just...wanted an estimate. So he could count down later.

* * *

"Depends," Cha-Cha shrugged. Why did that matter? He wasn't really getting out of it. He had to stay at least a little bit. If he looked fit to burst she and Ivana could go off on their own for a bit, but really. "A few hours? Like...I don't know. An afternoon. Till whenever our feet start hurting," and usually not even then.

* * *

"Note to self," he said, pretending his hand was a pad of paper and his other was holding a pen. "Step on the girls feet." He smiled and added, "I'm just kidding," before she could yell at him. "I'm actually looking forward to it. I'd like to get to know Ivana more." Entirely convincing, entirely untrue.

* * *

Cha-Cha mock glared at him. "Bugger," she mumbled, grinning lightly. "She wants to know you too. You're lucky she liked you so much," she reminded him. No, shopping wasn't his cup of tea, but at least they had an ally.

* * *

"I know, friends are few and far between..." He pretended to look forlorn. Still an unproven fact, but he actually did have a lot of friends.

Ivana seemed nice enough. She backed them up, that was all he really needed to know at this stage. She was his favorite so far, though he had a feeling he and Grace would get along well eventually. The idea alone of Rusty was too intimidating of a thought to comprehend right now.

* * *

"Yeah, they sort of are. Friends of mine that like you, any way. And you want to be friends with my friends," she added to him. It would be in his best interest, and in hers. Otherwise, how awkward would things be? They could never spend any time together.

* * *

They'd gone eight months just the two of them, it worked for him so far. But girls like doing things with their boyfriends and girlfriends at the same time, he supposed. Just had to complicate things, didn't they?

"I know, that's why I'm doing this." Plus it made her happy, like she said. And good things came out of her being happy...

* * *

"It'll be fine. I promise. We'll even tone it down for you," Cha-Cha promised for the fiftieth time. In case he still didn't believe her. "A little," she added under her breath. Taking his hand, she headed towards the block of stores. They'd told Ivana they'd meet at the thrift on the corner.

* * *

They got there a few minutes before Ivana who, when she arrived, immediately tackled Cha-Cha into a hug. Ed got a shy smile an awkward almost hug. Ivana had started to, then chickened out and patted his arm. The detective offered a hand in case that'd be easier, and it seemed to help. She shook it with both of hers on either side of his.

* * *

Cha-Cha could sort of understand the awkward there. but hoped it wouldn't be too glaring. They both liked each other, what was the big deal, right? "So what are we putting Ed in today?" she asked. If the colour he could deal with, they'd scare him with their co-operation. Yes, they'd talked about this.

"Which colours are on-limits?" Ivana replied, directing the question at both of them.

* * *

"It's kind of a subject to my approval deal," he said. If he okayed the color, they could find whatever they wanted in it. If he turned too many down he'd start to give in and at least try them on, he supposed. Try to keep them happy. What the hell, he could embarrass himself. Why not try most on? He wouldn't have to buy it. Just seeing him in it should make them satisfied.

* * *

Ivana figured there'd be an answer like that, though she suspected it would be more subject to Cha-Cha's approval. Her friend had a way of getting in there and controlling the situation. "What sorts of things?" she added, again directed at Ed. Cha-Cha, she knew, wouldn't have a reason to go shopping for herself.

* * *

"I'm..." he looked to Cha-Cha for a little help, "...not really sure." Whatever she wanted, it was her day. "You mentioned our trip, am I getting Florida attire?" Ew that meant colors. And swimming! If they steered clear of swim suits today that'd be awesome. Cha-Cha could have way too much fun making him try a million just so he'd have to stay relatively undressed.

* * *

Swimsuits hadn't even occurred to Cha-Cha yet. Once they did, it might be in his best interest to run. "Just the stuff you really need!" she protested. "Like...sunglasses. And a hat," her eyes widened. "In addition to the obvious of course. I'm guessing you'll need clothes...at least for some of the time," she added quietly.

* * *

_Cha-Cha, don't tease me like this in front of Ivana..._he had a million things to say back to her, none friend appropriate at all. "We'll get back to that later," he mumbled back softly.

Addressing both now he asked, "Well ladies, where to first?"

* * *

Cha-Cha smirked to herself at how uncomfortable he was. Sad thing was, Ivana had probably heard it all before and worse. They had lived together for a good long time. Cha-Cha did sometimes bring dates home. They both did. Her friendships were probably alot more...open than his were. Not that Ed was ever the subject of any girl talk! Absolutely not. Preposterous.

Ivana giggled softly. Preposterous, indeed. "I don't know what they'd have in here, to be honest," she thought out loud. Used beachwear? That was a little sceevy. Just a touch. "This is where we usually shop, Salvation Army and all that...we can probably do better than that today, though," she added, looking at Cha-Cha. Those shirts didn't exactly look cheap. Neither did that watch. Ivana noticed these things.

* * *

Joking like that usually led to Ed grabbing Cha-Cha and not letting go for a while. Having to stand there politely wouldn't be easy if she kept that up. Ed hadn't given a second thought to his accessory at all. Hopefully he wasn't coming off showy. It wasn't hitting him now, but later at home taking it off it would cross his mind.

The detective shrugged. "Wherever you want to go is fine with me," he offered foolishly.

* * *

"Anywhere?" Ivana asked hopefully. He was more fun than some of the other guys the girls had gone through. That would make things alot easier.

"We could look in here, for clothes and everything," Cha-Cha decided, her eye caught by a skirt on one of the racks. Well, they weren't just shopping for him!

* * *

Anywhere. "Yes?" Ed had a feeling he'd just said the wrong thing. Their eyes were shining and his wallet felt lighter already. He agreed and followed them anyway. Ivana wouldn't be comfortable enough to ask for anything yet, right? ...would Cha-Cha resist the urge to offer? Probably not. That was fine though, if she did. To a degree anyway. He knew what a good feeling giving something to a loved one was.

* * *

Cha-Cha wasn't above asking for herself, though (or rather, hinting and sighing and puppy-dog-eyeing until she got her way. She was sure Ivana brought her own money; she wouldn't assume differently. But why should Cha-Cha get a free ride and not her best friend?

"We should probably ease his way into colours," Cha-Cha informed Ivana, but still within Ed's earshot. "I got him to agree to the primaries plus green. We'll work out from there."

* * *

"_Green..._" Ivana smiled. She too found a slight humor in that, just like the kids he'd had to put up with in school. She figured she wasn't the first to think of it, but she couldn't help herself.

Ed rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. Ivana blushed slightly, not realizing he'd overheard. Woops.

Looking around the place they'd chosen, his nerves were calmed a little. It didn't look so bad. He was glad they'd passed up the thrift store. Cha-Cha could come up with amazing things from there, but he couldn't imagine himself being right for it at all.

* * *

Cha-Cha didn't catch the eye roll, and laughed to herself. It was funny, she had to say. "Poor Eddie," she looked at him. She was aware that she'd have to, at least at first, divide her attentions a bit. Even though she knew Ed wouldn't mind, she still wanted to keep him included.

* * *

"Yeah, yeah," he laughed lightly. He accepted that people found that amusing. "Now lead the way, hun. I'll try not to distract you two." He'd follow at a safe distance as they picked things out. His input wouldn't be listened to anyway. Ivana actually bumped her way to the nearest rack first. "Or you," Ed added with a smirk. Cha-Cha had competition.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed again, routing through the clothes. Ivana may have beat her, but she knew what would look better on her man. Or at least, she knew what she'd want to put on him. And it was her opinion that counted.

"Wow," she commented. "Men's clothes are boring," she frowned. Same shirt, different colours and materials.

"Tell me about it," Ivana agreed with a smirk.

* * *

Ed looked around for something to sit on, but there was nothing nearby. A ways away was the shoe section with chairs, but he didn't want to leave the girls unsupervised. He may have subconsciously considered them kids needing watching, or it may have just been that Ed didn't want to fight off saleswomen in addition to his two girls.

"It makes it easier to come in and come out if you don't have five hours to dedicate to shopping."

"But why wouldn't you have five hours for shopping?" Ivana jokingly called from behind something.

* * *

"Ed is an odd person," Cha-Cha replied, lifting a shirt off the rack. Relatively plain, red, might look good with a plain black tie. Or a black and blue polka dot one, but she wouldn't jump too far ahead. She put it over her arm.

"I hope you're looking too," she added to Ed. "You're allowed to get stuff you like, baby. It just...has to meet our approval first."

* * *

"Everything I pick out, by how you've acted this week, apparently would get shot down," he said, playfully narrowing his eyes. His gaze wandered to the forbidden black suit section. How he missed thee. He hadn't dressed professionally in so long he felt like he should really be demoted. At the moment he was dressed casually, and while it was much more comfortable he felt like a slob.

* * *

"You just need variation! How many pairs of black pants can one man own?" And the more important question; how long would it take him to try on some leather ones? A green striped number was added to her pile.

"You'd be surprised. I had this boyfriend once," Ivana shook her head, tsking. Cha-Cha very much liked the baby blue in her arms.

* * *

Ed sighed. "What good are girls. They're just there to make life harder." Black was fine. You could wear it to work, you could wear out to a nice place, and if you were Ed you'd wear it during your free time as well. It was an all around good color.

* * *

"Girls! What about boys? Big sticks in the mud," Cha-Cha shook her head. At least she was willing to try new things. How could he be so close minded? He was dating a drag queen, for goodness sake!

Ivana grinned to herself. Okay, fine. They were pretty cute. Plus, they were 'girls' to Ed, seemingly without a second thought. Not all guys were sensitive to that.

* * *

"Well...fine. I'm boring," he laughed. "Go talk to your friend." Ed waved her away to Ivana, and walked around a display to look for himself. He didn't bother picking anything up, it'd just go right back to its hanger. He knew it.

* * *

Cha-Cha shrugged, going back to her rack. It took them about ten minutes before they were off to find Ed again. And a change room.

They both had relatively large piles, about seven to ten shirts each. Mostly button down, everyone a different shade. No white, or any other neutrals for that matter. There may have been some purple involved.

* * *

They found the men's changing room, and Ed paused a moment. Could Ivana and Cha-Cha... It never occurred to him before but, which would they go to? He assumed whether they liked it or not store staff would make them use the men's. That just seemed weird to him though.

He eyed the piles suspiciously. He could see colors he'd said no to hiding beneath the top shirts. Alright girls he'd try them, but no promises. Did he have to model everything for them, or would they wait for him to try them on himself and decide? ...He wouldn't put it past them to try to convince him he needed help getting shirts on and off. He was thirty eight, he could handle it!

* * *

Cha-Cha and Ivana ended up waiting outside his changing room, in the men's only section. Not where they'd like to go, but it did have its advantages. Men didn't have as much modesty when they didn't think any women would come barging in. "Do you thin he'll really wear the purple one?" Ivana asked.

"He'd better," she replied cheerfully.

* * *

Ed picked through the things they'd given him. Some were pretty much fine, others weren't so bad, and some...ha ha, nice try. They hadn't told him if he had to show them everything, so he went with no. Maybe they'd be talking and not notice?

Ed heard a surprised, quiet yelp. He smirked. Ivana and Cha-Cha must've been spotted.

* * *

"Pardon? Do you want to see _proof_?" Cha-Cha asked the employee. This was the first time she'd ever been annoyed with someone who called her a girl. Since she was ten years old, anyway. "Though I am flattered..."

"I'm sorry, you can't be in here," the employee insisted. "Would you want a man walking in while you were changing?"

"Oh, _believe_ me," Ivana giggled.

* * *

Ed laughed as he listened. "I can't take you two anywhere," he called, a grin in his voice. He didn't believe he was doing this, but he opened the door, coincidentally shirtless at the time. He smiled as apologetically as he could fake at the employee. "Sorry, are they disturbing someone?"

"Ah, well, not exactly-"

"Then what's the problem?" Ed asked.

The man hadn't expected a third party. "Are they with you?"

"Yes."

"They'll have to wait outside the cha-"

Ed shook his head. "I don't think so, they're the reason I'm here. You chase them off, you chase me off, and I'm the one paying. But if you're that upset," he took a step back, "they don't have to stay right there. Girls, get in here."

* * *

Ivana's eyes widened and zeroed in on Ed's chest. Cha-CHa had seen it all before and was slightly less enchanted. Only slightly. Both girls got up, joining the man in his dressing room, which was very dumbfounding for the worker. The teen looked ready to say something, but quickly shut his mouth, telling them to be quiet before heading off.

"Damn, Cha-Cha!" Ivana gushed. "Tell me again why he never came to the center?"

"Cause the you might've met him first, and Ed would be forever frightened of queens," she replied, giggling. "Getting bolder, are we? Once upon a time I couldn't even hold your hand in public," she teased her man.

* * *

"I don't think this counts as public," he laughed. "And if Lennie appeared in here somehow, I'd be both claustrophobic and terrified." Ed put on the first shirt he could grab. Half naked, up close and personal was not exactly how he imagined he'd spend the day with his girlfriends friend. But hey, these things happen. This way they could see him try on stuff, at least. "But don't get used to it. I'm kicking you two out when I'm sure he's gone." Ed never did.

* * *

"Yeah, okay sure," Cha-Cha giggled. "That happens, we take the pants, too!"

"Oh Ed, kick us out!" Ivana added. Both girls killed themselves giggling. Apparently, a new favourite sport had been found; teasing Ed. Fun for the whole family!

* * *

Ed just continued to unbutton his current shirt, handing it to Cha-Cha for her to either put it in a yes pile or no pile. "You two are something else," he sighed. If pants were eventually involved, they were outta there. Yes, Cha-Cha too, because it wouldn't be fair to Ivana if she had to sit alone. And because he could hardly breathe in here with three people. Especially if the girls kept fluttering about.

* * *

Cha-Cha lifted the shirt up. A primary colour, of course. "What do you think?" she asked Ivana.

"I like it better off," the other girl grinned. "Umm...keep, I guess."

Cha-Cha nodded, putting it over her arm again. "How many more do you have to try?"

* * *

"I like it too," Cha-Cha confirmed, fingering one of the cuffs before letting go of him completely.

* * *

"If it has two votes I guess it's staying," he said, starting to take it off. One left, finally. "Last one," he announced.

"From this store," Ivana added. "We've only just begun!" It made sense when Ed thought about it. No wonder they only picked three out of fifteen to keep.

* * *

"True. Let's see, we have red, yellow..." Cha-Cha paused looking through the pile. Frowning, she yanked the purple shirt off the hook, adding it to the keep pile. "..._purple_. What else do we need?"

* * *

"Hold on," Ed protested. "_Purple_?" Of all the things laying there she grabbed purple? "Can't we consider me to have grown out of that color?" he asked with a laugh. "I'm not eight, honey, I'm thirty eight."

Ivana gasped. "_Seriously_?" She looked to Cha-Cha. Had she told them that already? "Did I know this?"

* * *

"I think you knew Ed wasn't eight," Cha-Cha giggled.

"No, thirty-eight!" Ivana replied, impressed. "Since when do you date men under fourty?"

"Since lots of times!" the blonde replied defensively. "There have been a ton of thirty five year olds."

"Yeah, when you were twenty..."

"Are you implying I'm older than twenty, Ivana Mann?" Cha-Cha asked with a raised eyebrow, a giggle behind it.

* * *

"Under forty is rare?" Ed asked Ivana. "And to think she was making me feel old..." The little sneak, he was just a pup in comparison.

"Well you are," Ivana said matter-of-factly, oblivious to whether or not that was insulting. "Just not the oldest."

"Oh thanks." Ed rolled his eyes, chuckling.

* * *

"It's still over ten years between us," Cha-Cha reminded him. That was a pretty decent distance. But still, it was probably the shortest one in awhile. "Just...closer to ten. Rather than twenty." She didn't mention how she'd thought he was older at first. Even though, to her, that was a compliment. Well...it was a compliment _coming_ from her. Cha-Cha struggled to keep herself at a clean twenty-one.

* * *

"I'd rather be your age again," he said, sighing as if it were a lifetime ago. "I'm in no hurry to get older." Although apparently he'd just become more attractive to her as he did? That was strange.

With all of the shirts tried on and back on hangers for the most part he opened the dressing room door for them to all file out. "Ladies first," he grinned. Ivana walked out first, closet to the door. Hmm. Ed caught Cha-Cha's arm. "Wait a second," he said. Ed had felt weird about getting too close to his love with her friend a foot away, but now there was a thin plastic wall between them and Ivana. Good enough for him.

* * *

Cha-Cha paused, staying back a minute. "It's not that bad, is it?" she asked. Yes, they were forcing him to buy purple, but hey, it was a good bonding time. Ivana seemed to be enjoying herself. Was even feeling comfortable enough to joke around with them. It wasn't a disaster like last week was.

* * *

"No, it's going fine," he assured her. "And that wasn't a bad wait a second, it was a...hey we're alone wait a second." He spoke quietly as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Thirty seconds tops, then they'd have to be back with Ivana.

"Not entirely," Ivana said, leaning with her back against the thin wall. _Nosy? Me? No way._ "I can still hear you."

"I just wanted to tell you how much I like Ivana," Ed said, louder in the way she knew she was supposed to overhear.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, wrapping her arms around Ed in turn. Whether Ivana heard or not did not concern her. The girl had heard ten times worse. They lived together, remember? "What about how much you like me?" Cha-Cha mumbled, tilting her head up.

"You're not supposed to do that around the merchandise, y'know!" Cha-Cha elbowed her friend's back through the wall.

* * *

"If we're not _in_ the merchandise, we're fine," Ed called to her. He closed his eyes momentarily, shaking his head. Okay, this was still a little weird then. He leaned into Cha-Cha, kissing her deeply.

"I forget, are there security cameras in dressing rooms?" Ivana wondered out loud. Ed sighed.

"Do you just want to come back in here?" he asked sarcastically.

* * *

Cha-Cha frowned, pulling Ed back down, kissing him again. It was sometimes better not to encourage her. Ivana had the mind of a two year old, honestly.

If the roles were reversed, of course, Cha-Cha would probably be even worse. But things being the way they were, she'd deny that fact up and down.

* * *

Ed smiled into her kiss, quietly enjoying her. No sound for Ivana to comment on. Pulling away after a moment he continued to hold her, whispering "Your friend is really something else." In a good way. Slightly awkward, but a good way.

* * *

"Something else like me?" Cha-Cha smiled softly. Really, she wasn't that different from her friends. Only, Ed had probably seen her calmer than her friends ever had. The girls had a way of exciting Cha-Cha and making her hyper. Well..when they lived together they saw her pretty toned down. But never in that quiet, contented state Ed could easily put her in.

* * *

"Yes. I like it." If it was Cha-Cha saying it, it wouldn't make him uncomfortable at all. He just had to get used to being teased from all sides. He pressed his forehead to hers lightly. "And if she's as like you as I think, she's already gotten bored out there." It had been almost a minute.

* * *

"Oh, she can wait a little longer," Cha-Cha held him tighter, resting her head on his shoulder. She loved going out with Ivana but come on now. Surely her friend could understand...

Ivana began humming loudly from the other side.

* * *

Ed chuckled. The day was supposed to an Ed and Ivana bonding day, but this worked too. He held her a bit more, and then they were on their way out. Her friend smirked knowingly at them. Ed put an arm around Cha-Cha's waist. See, he could do it in front of her if he wanted!

The same employee was arranged clothes outside the dressing room's door. He looked at them with a strange expression, especially eying the two that were together. Suspicious of what they'd really been doing. Ivana wanted to join in and looped an arm through Ed's, winking at the confused man happily.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed again, watching the boy. Obviously he was starting to put the pieces together, and it only made it more funny. He'd probably never seen a drag queen before in his life. Leaning up to kiss Ed's cheek as they walked, she watched the boy make a beeline for the changing room they were in.

"I love teenage boys," she sighed, the smile intact.

* * *

"Older or younger, make up your mind," Ed laughed. He used to be careful about a man walking too close to him. Now he had two drag queens hanging onto him? How did these happen? A good development, definitely, and very entertaining. Just...how in the world...

* * *

"It's always older with Cha-Cha," Ivana teased, not letting go of Ed just yet. Who would? Dating her best friend, yes, but still an especially attractive male. She'd hang on for a bit longer. "Have you ever even been with a guy younger than you?"

"What's the point? Older guys have more...I don't know," Cha-Cha looked at Ed. "Class?"

* * *

"Hopefully," he smiled. If a kid was classier than him that'd be depressing. "Well wait, Carmine is...ah wait. Younger than me, older than you." Thought he had something there.

* * *

"That's true. Carmine is what, thirty now? And you go crazy over him," Ivana pointed out. Then again, it wasn't just Cha-Cha. In fact, lately she'd been more mellow when it came to the pizza boy. It wasn't hard to see why. Once they were to the check out, Ivana finally let go of Ed's arm.

"Is he that old?" Cha-Cha asked, feigning disinterest.

* * *

"Doesn't everybody?" he asked. Carmine was attractive. "He's too young for me though," Ed joked, remembering the reaction he'd gotten last time he said that. He dug for his wallet quickly, which by the way now was home to cash. He still held a grudge with his credit card.

* * *

"And I'm not?" Cha-Cha rolled her eyes with a grin, taking Ed's hand. She still didn't quite get that. What, did she look older or something? That couldn't be it. She _knew_ she didn't act older. "Try and explain that one."

"Well, you're older than some of the girls at the contest," Ivana pointed out.

* * *

"I make exceptions for special occasions." Another old joke from their first date. He didn't know if he should comment on Ivana's statement. Calling Cha-Cha older than anything didn't seem like a good idea. And mentioning this years contest also wasn't a good idea apparently.

* * *

"Well then, maybe this year they'll win," Cha-Cha replied, moving with the line. They were next. "Stranger things have happened."

"Nuh uh," Ivana insisted. "Cause you've gotta knock em flat," she still didn't get it. Things had been fine before. Why the sudden change of heart? She looked at Ed, wondering if Cha-Cha had told him anything.

* * *

Ed shrugged when Cha-Cha wasn't looking. She hadn't said anything to him. Though she'd been busy with him. Not only because of the obvious issues this week, but in general. Whenever Ed was home they were together. He'd never once seen her practice. She could have while he was at work, but he didn't hear anything about it. It wasn't all his fault, he thought, if that's what was the popular opinion. This past week or two couldn't have been the _only_

reason.

* * *

Before long they were at the front of the register. Cha-Cha was already thinking of where to go next. What did he need, pants? Variation on the black trouser would be nice. Accessories? They could just have too much fun with that.

"What do you want to shop for next?" she asked him. No matter what he chose, they still got the final say anyway, so it didn't really matter.

* * *

"Hmm." If he wasn't going to be watched this time he'd suggest they move on to anything. But if they assumed they were welcome again, he'd prefer shirts once more. Well, alright, it hadn't been that bad. He didn't have to open the door for them to see each thing, they didn't have to shout through the door, and they did have fun. Both as just the three of them talking, and for scaring the teenage worker.

* * *

"We could get more shirts," Cha-Cha agreed. One for every colour of the rainbow, at least. "Just means we'll get more time to spend on everything else! I like the way you think," she beamed, squeezing his hand gently. She knew he had to like shopping now! The girls made it fun.

* * *

Ed would never use the word "like" when referring to shopping yet. "Tolerate" was what he'd say.

"You know, about the pants thing, I have more than black." She just hadn't seen them. Or...enough to make an impression on her, anyway. He had each appropriate color. No salmon pink pants or anything crazy, but colors men were supposed.

* * *

"Such as?" Cha-Cha's forehead creased. Yeah, okay. He had jeans--but as much as Ed needed a change, jeans were not the way to go. They were just too casual for him. She thought of him as professional, sophisticated. They need to retain some shard of that, otherwise it would be a total flip and she just wouldn't like it.

* * *

"I don't know, go home and look," he smiled lightly. He was bad with details. "Khaki or navy or something. Several other things. Black is just my favorite." Clothes wise, anyway.

* * *

"Khaki?" Cha-Cha repeated, her forehead creasing further. "Oh, Eddie. My poor, sweet Eddie."

"Khaki is for army men," Ivana instructed, her face similar to Cha-Cha's. "Okay. It might not be so bad. Tell me they aren't cargo pants?" Please?

* * *

"God no, what kind of man do you think I am?" He wasn't seventeen, cargo pants were not for him! ...woops. Did he accidentally showed that he might sorta kinda maybe put thought into what clothes he wears? That even he would be horrified if they tried that? Hopefully they'd miss this. That his playing dumb game would continue. He didn't know, he didn't care, remember guys? If they detected he actually knew relatively what was gong on they might be out all day, not just all afternoon.

* * *

"See, even Ed's above that," Cha-Cha sighed, proud of her man. Of course he couldn't be that sort of guy.

"Mmhmm..." Ivana looked at the man, a raised eyebrow. "What other things are you 'above'?" How into this was he? She didn't think he had any standards. No offense. "Suspenders? Visors? Fanny packs?"

* * *

As if he'd ever be seen in any of the above. "Where are we going next, ladies?" Ed asked again quickly, having received change and a funny look from the cashier. He wasn't supposed to be talking about fashion with them, in any way. He was just supposed to carry stuff and pay for it.

Ivana was still slightly suspicious, mumbling to Cha-Cha, "I think he knows more than he's letting on."

* * *

Cha-Cha watched Ed with wide eyes. "You think?" Well, he was quick to change the subject. Come on though. She had been through his closet when she moved in. If that man had standards with fashion, they were very very low.

One or two of his uglier ties may have mysteriously disappeared. NOT THAT CHA-CHA KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

* * *

Did she ever bother to ask if they were chosen by him or given as gifts? No. And you know, she never brought this up until he was being introduced to her friends. His work clothes had been fine with her before he had to presented to them. What was the big deal? "Don't look at me like that," Ed laughed. He missed what they'd said, but he could guess.

* * *

Cha-Cha's facial expression didn't change, but she did lean in to him closer, her eyes on his. Just to bug him. "You didn't answer Ivana's question," she reminded him. Her head was nearly on his shoulder, she was so close. All the better to annoy him with. And to hopefully get some semblance of the truth out of him. He would've had to have made some conscious decision not to wear cargo pants. Meaning he must've made that decision about other things too. Meaning he cared way more about fashion than he let on, meaning he was one step closer to the stereotypical gay male. He was already a very unstereotypical gay male. Cha-Cha loved this man.

* * *

Ed laughed and pushed her face away gently. "Personal space, sweetheart." He wasn't answering anything that would get him in trouble. Well, approval from these fashionistas, but trouble in his opinion.

* * *

The eyebrows rose higher. "Personal space? Between you and me? That's a new one," she smirked. She didn't usually hear anything but the opposite. What an odd thing for him to request. Unless he was trying to hide something.

* * *

She was right. There was no such thing as personal space in this relationship. They were practically glued to each other with no qualms about it. "You know I'm not serious," he said, offering a hand for her to hold. As in hold and exit the building. Get on with the adventure.

* * *

Cha-Cha put an arm around his waist instead, moving into him. Well, okay.

"So are we to assume you wear suspenders, visors and fanny packs?" Ivana asked with a grin. That reminded Cha-Cha of the whole point, and she let go of him slightly to catch his eyes better.

"He won't for long, if he does," she replied, deathly serious.

* * *

"Of course not, you've explored our apartment enough to know better than that, haven't you?" Really now. Had any of those three turned up? He probably had a had a few gag gifts around he'd need to explain when she encountered them eventually, but still. He had more class than that.

* * *

"So what you're saying is, you have some standard," Cha-Cha grinned. Aww. He did care! "I mean, cargos and suspenders and stuff, they're a 'don't be silly'."

"So you're not half as clueless as we thought you were," Ivana filled in, staring at him relentlessly. They had him now. For once...well...for _twice_, the detective was the one getting interrogated.

* * *

"Well," Ed said, crossing his arms. "If I showed up to work mismatched I wouldn't be taken seriously, would I?" he laughed. "I have to be able to intimidate people into telling me what I need to know. Do you think I could do that if my jacket was olive and my pants were brown? Or I had mix matching patterns?" He smiled lightly. "They'd be too busy trying to figure out why I thought herringbone and stripes went together instead of concentrating on telling me the truth." He felt for those he interrogated. It was a very awkward feeling having someone stare at you like that.

* * *

"Okay, so you have some idea," Cha-Cha thought out loud. What was wrong with mix-matching patterns, though, exactly? As long as it was stripes and circles, that was the universal law. But other than that, Cha-Cha proudly sported many different patterns in an outfit, with many different colours. It attracted the eye. He'd never complained. "But just cause you don't want to be ugly doesn't mean you get to be boring."

* * *

"I think we need to focus on the fact he knew the name herringbone," Ivana commented.

Ed sighed. "You know if you came to the precinct and looked around, you'd see I'm not the worst case scenario." He was actually one of the sharper dressers, as a matter of fact. Not that she could tell when it came to business attire, apparently.

* * *

Cha-Cha stared at Ed at Ivana's comment. The fact she didn't even know the word herringbone? That was a giveaway. That was very much a giveaway. "Okay, Green. Fess up, please." And she did too know business attire! Well...she knew she liked seeing her man in a suit. But that couldn't be all he wore!

* * *

Green? Oh really. "And here I thought we were on a first name basis, Cueva." That was the first time he'd said her last name, actually. He'd yet to attempt her whole name. In front of her anyway. And...alright. Fine. "I _can _ make it around the men's section if I try." But that didn't mean he was willing to graduate to anything else. Or that he'd be going out on shopping trips with her regularly. He went in, got what he wanted, and left.

* * *

"Nuh uh uh, that's _Cueva_, lover boy," Cha-Cha corrected. He'd said it right, she just felt like being annoying. Well...more so than usual. "So you like to shop, is what you're saying," she guessed, the excitement evident in her eyes.

* * *

"That's what I said." Psh, he wouldn't get her name wrong. He wasn't that dumb. "And...no," he laughed, "That's not what I meant." As nice as that approving look in her eyes had made him feel.

"Sounded that way," Ivana grinned.

"All I said was that I can find my way in and out. And that I can do it better than others at the precinct. You're reading too much into this."

* * *

"But that's better than you told us," Cha-Cha pointed out. If he was a pretty good dresser--in his opinion, but nonetheless--it meant he did have some idea of what looked good. He had some standard. He cared more than he let on. "You said you didn't care at all. I mean, as long as we weren't putting you in drag or pink or anything."

"What doesn't Ed Green want us to know?" Ivana wondered aloud, eyes still on his face.

* * *

"I said that, and that if I'm not expected to wear it to work, I do not care. At all." Sort of. It had to be something he'd at least considered wearing on his own, right? Didn't want to be one of those men who were obviously dressed by their girlfriends everyday. "It can't be that impressive to know I grasp the concept of how to purchase a shirt."

* * *

"You can purchase a nice one though. Considerably harder," Cha-Cha pointed out. "Meaning you care more than we thought. Otherwise you'd never buy new clothes at all."

"Just admit it Ed. You like shopping," Ivana teased, a smirk appearing. Cha-Cha matched her expression. Clearly, they were not going to give up until they heard their answer.

* * *

Ed looked from one to the other. "I...have to look good...or I'd get fired..." Give him a break, girls! It was required! "I need new stuff now and then because of all the running and tackling I do. And jumping out windows is harder than it sounds. I can't show up to work in clothes with holes." It had nothing to do with how people in general viewed him. Honest... And as long as she forgot his horror of wearing in jeans in public, all should be well.

* * *

"Jump out if windows?" Ivana asked with wide eyes, momentarily distracted. Cha-Cha smirked. Well played, Eddie. Way to take the attention off his own passion for fashion. No way could Ivana resist commenting on those kinds of heroics. "What are we, Superman or something?"

* * *

Ed laughed. "It's only out onto fire escapes, not to the concrete. Usually." He was only half joking. After all, he had darted out first floor windows before. If he'd snagged her interest maybe they'd move on from clothing.

* * *

"That's crazy," Ivana shook her head. Didn't it freak him out? Didn't it freak both of them out? They were acting like it was some everyday, run of the mill occurrence, though. It wasn't really..well...not for most people.

* * *

He laughed again. "I'm sorta used to it. We expect it now, actually. Everybody thinks going out the window is the answer." That was nothing compared to being shot at weekly. But he still was not sure about mentioning anything involving guns to Cha-Cha's friends. Cha-Cha didn't seemed phased at all by the conversation on the outside.

* * *

Sure, Cha-Cha had wondered about it. Jumping out of windows, chasing and shooting bad guys, dealing with murderers...none of that sounded too safe. But she'd never thought to make a big deal of it, because he never did. It wasn't like he came home sporting battle wounds...that he showed her, anyway...and he'd never told her it was a particularly high-risk job. Unless he didn't want to worry her. Or if he figured it was common sense. Frowning slightly, she paid a bit more attention to the conversation. She knew his job was dangerous and all...but she thought the chance of anything actually happening was a million to one.

"I never know how you cops can deal with all that. I'd be out the second I got glared at, don't even mention a gunfight or somethin'," Ivana shook her head.

* * *

Ed was glad Cha-Cha didn't panic like some lovers. That he saw, anyway. Asking him to quit was popular too, and he was grateful they hadn't had that conversation. Yet? He wouldn't give it up for anything. Well, er, okay last week didn't really back that statement up, but he hadn't _wanted_ to risk it. "I've only had a few close calls," he said, intending it to be more comforting than alarming, but that wasn't how Ivana viewed it.

"A few? As in more than one?"

"Well that comes with the job…" He was surprised he'd already gotten more into this with Ivana than he had with Cha-Cha. But his girl hadn't asked and he didn't want to offer anything that would make her worry. Without really thinking he said, "I'm on my fourth car, but that's just because I let Lennie drive." His partner got a little too into chases. Tended to total his vehicle. As if Ed didn't. "And I've only been shot once," he added as if he'd just stubbed his toe. Lennie had been at least three times, so Ed felt fortunate. And incredibly impressed with his partner for staying on so long.

"'_Only once'_?" Ivana asked, then looked to Cha-Cha. "You let him do this?"

* * *

Cha-Cha tried not to stutter, but truth be told, she had no idea what to say to Ivana. How could she answer that when she'd had no idea about any of that? How could she say that without making it seem like he didn't tell her things? How did she keep the impression of a perfect boyfriend about him when that fact was ultimately not true? Not totally; it wasn't like she asked him or anything, she supposed. But one would think that was sort of a vital statistic. Age, career, number of times shot and where. Sounded reasonable.

"I...guess I do," Cha-Cha replied finally with a forced smile. The hand on his got a bit tighter. Whether she did it knowingly or not, though, was questionable.

* * *

This was another 'It never came up' moment that he knew Cha-Cha was going to yell at him later for. She really hated that. But he didn't want her uneasy whenever he was working... He returned the squeeze and kissed her forehead, already attempting to make up for the fight that may be coming. "It's really not that bad," he continued to Ivana. "Sounds worse than it is." Not entirely sure he believed that himself...

* * *

Ivana sensed she was treading on a touchy subject, and returned the conversation to fashion and their shopping trip. Cha-Cha wasn't listening. Looking up at him, she gave him a look that clearly said, "_we'll talk about this later_". He at least should've told her he got shot. But...he probably didn't want to upset her, right? Yes, Cha-Cha was trying to be reasonable. It was a habit she was trying to get into.

* * *

Ed went with whatever Ivana led them to. He didn't say he liked shopping but that clearly wasn't what she was hearing. They left the store and debated walking to another close one or taking the subway. Walking won. With the ability to now go wherever they wanted, Ivana didn't vote for going to the old familiar places. Ed kept an arm close around Cha-Cha. He'd have both around her if it was possible to walk that way.

* * *

Cha-Cha kept close to him as they headed into the next store, trying to keep what he'd said out of her mind. Hey, he wasn't working now, right? So no reason to let it get her down at the moment. Later when they could talk to each other privately, they'd sort it out. It couldn't be that dangerous, right? Otherwise nobody would do it. Except the selfless, incredible people. Cha-Cha liked to think he was pretty incredible, and he always put her first.

"What about these?" Ivana giggled, holding up a pair of denim cut off shorts. Which gender they were intended for wasn't quite clear. Cha-Cha laughed, taking them from her and holding them up against Ed's waist. Just because she was feeling bad didn't mean everybody else had to know.

* * *

"Girls...seriously..." He'd go home if they even tried to buy that. He liked the other store better. "Stay with shirts, please." Those were harder to mess up. Less...humiliating. Most of the time, anyway. They had a knack of finding the strangest things. Why not just take them to a high class store where there'd be no chance of ridiculous clothing...?

* * *

"Don't worry, baby," Cha-Cha giggled, putting the shorts back. She knew there was no way he'd be caught dead in them. Hey though, by comparison, leather pants had to seem amazing, right? Besides, his reaction was too much fun. "Just shirts?" she repeated. "But you need pants too! Sometimes," she added, grinning.

"Is this Ivana-appropriate conversation, Cha-Cha?" her friend warned, with a grin that proved she didn't really care.

* * *

"Occasionally," he agreed. What an outing this was turning into. "Fine. There can't be that many things that we can disagree on concerning pants, can there?" How hard could that be as long as shorts were out? "Just don't go to the Timberland section. Their models are obnoxious and I think of them whenever I see the label." Not that he had gone through catalogs enough to know brands. And...not that he'd actually dated a model for Timberland...

* * *

"Timberland?" Cha-Cha asked, again impressed by his knowledge. "Isn't that like streetwear?" still just a little casual for him. If he was getting casual wear, it had to be interesting. Not what some rap-artist would cast off. That was different enough, but it wasn't Ed.

"Obnoxious or not, they are cute," Ivana gushed.

* * *

"What are you talking about?" Streetwear? Oh wait, got it. "Not that singer," he rolled his eyes. It was around before that guy. "Don't you know me at all, darling?" Ed asked with a laugh. "I'm just kidding," he added. "Not fair to say that when I never bring you." He had gone out plenty of times without her, after all. He hadn't been wearing the same thing for nine months. Maybe she couldn't tell, but it was true.

* * *

"You should bring me. I have a ton of fashion knowledge," Cha-Cha reminded him. With a closet full of bright colours, mix-matching patterns and random accessories to prove it.

"Alright then, what?" Ivana spread her arms apart. "Find some you like and we'll let you know what we think." It wouldn't hurt to give him a little power, would it?

* * *

"No, go ahead, I'll stop fighting you." If they thought they could do it, they could try. He may not have liked the purple from the last place, but the other two weren't that bad. Besides, Cha-Cha had seen his closet enough to get an idea. And weren't they trying to get him away from his conservative little comfort zone? That's exactly what he'd zero in on again.

* * *

"Are you sure, Eddie? Believe it or not, you do get some say," Ivana offered. You had to at least sort of like your clothes, otherwise you'd be miserable wearing them. Only catch was that your girlfriend had to like them, too. Was that really such a price to pay though?

"Why are you giving him a say?" Cha-Cha asked playfully. He was right; he'd only jump back into his corner. What was the point of that?

"Co-operation, Cha-Cha!" Ivana scolded, giggling.

* * *

Ed grinned, appreciating the offer. "I'll let you know what I think when you're making me try them on," he said. It sort of worked the last time. He'd gotten a little bit of his opinion in. "But by the way, unless we have another angry teen, you girls are _outside_ again."

* * *

This time, both girls protested. "But _Eddie_!" Cha-Cha whined. "It was so much easier that way! We got to tell you what we thought without you having to come out."

"Not like we've never seen it all before, anyway," Ivana added.

* * *

"Yeah, but it was crowded. Dressing rooms weren't made for three." Unless they got that unusually large one that was always there. Wheelchair accessible? He'd never seen a sign, but why else? If pants were going to be involved, he wasn't sure how he felt about Ivana being there. There'd been a lot of mumbled 'excuse me's'. Ed wouldn't mind brushing up against Cha-Cha constantly though.

* * *

"Can they be made for two?" Cha-Cha asked with doe eyes. They could kick Ivana out. She wouldn't mind! She was used to it, really.

"Yeah, Ed and me," Ivana grinned. Please, Cha-Cha got him every day of the week! She had to share sometimes. Honestly, just because you were Miss Flawless didn't give you the right to be greedy.

* * *

Ed laughed and began to stroll through a line of display shelves. "You two fight it out, I'll take the winner." He reluctantly admitted to himself that both would join him yet again. It was inevitable. Hopefully somebody else would be there again. Bothering employees was fun.

* * *

"Look at you, pitting best friends against each other," Cha-Cha shook her head in mock shame. He was getting very comfortable in his sex god position, wasn't he? Well, he was a sex god to them. But still, no need to get cocky or anything.

"I'll let you buy whatever you want," Ivana bribed.

* * *

She had begun to follow him, but Ed gently placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. "With _her_," he repeated, steering her towards Cha-Cha. He would give in to bribes too easily. Ed wondered if he could sneak off and get the changing done while they were busy talking. He offered to hold what Ivana had picked up a few minutes earlier. Scooted slowly away.

* * *

"Oh, that's hardly fair, I can't do that for him!" Ivana protested. "You're the girlfriend, not me!"

"Whoops," Cha-Cha giggled, clearly not too concerned with fair rules. "Thems are the breaks."

"Well, I guess I _could_ do it...I'm sure he'd be willing.."

"Okay fine fine fine nothing sexual fine!" Cha-Cha backtracked quickly. "You drive a hard bargain, Miss Mann."

"This really isn't fair for us to decide," Ivana pointed out. She turned around, completely intending to get Ed's opinion. "Um...where did he go?"

* * *

Ed hadn't changed that fast in awhile. The girls hadn't followed him yet, and he only had one thing left. It had almost been too easy.

"That sneak," Ivana pouted, crossing her arms. She started for the dressing room.

* * *

"He is quite the jerk sometimes," Cha-Cha agreed, following her friend. It was somewhat endearing though. Almost. A lovable jerkiness. Not a mean one. Annoying, but...yeah.

"Okay Ed, we know you're in here," Cha-Cha called as they entered the change rooms. Silently, she prayed there was no one else named Ed getting changed.

* * *

Ed opened the door, in the process of unbuttoning the last shirt. "Oh there you are." He held it open for Cha-Cha, and Ivana was welcome to follow too. He just needed to get back into his original shirt now.

There was another reason he'd wanted to change solo. He hadn't thought of it earlier, but...he did have a scar from the previously mentioned gunshot wound. Small and healing, but things always seemed worse when you thought about them. It obviously wasn't that bad if it had never attracted Cha-Cha's attention the numerous times he'd been shirtless around her. He figured if he acted naturally they wouldn't notice, but once you thinking about something like that, acting natural is impossible. Either his hand didn't leave his side, or he kept that side of him near the wall, glancing at it with a frown. _Way to not be obvious, Ed._

* * *

Cha-Cha wasn't looking for a scar, so Ed's actions didn't seem all that unusual. She didn't know he had anything to hide. "So what were you planning to do once one of us had won, and fully expected to help you change?" she had to ask.

* * *

Ed was relieved he hadn't drawn any unwanted attention at the moment. "Actually I was pretty sure I could do it while you were talking." And he had. The first round from this store, anyway. "Yes," he said as he handed three items to Cha-Cha, then said "No," and the rest went to Ivana.

"You're not gonna use the 'It was fair because one of us didn't get left out' excuse, are you?" Ivana asked with a long face. _Stupid fairness._

"I wasn't, but now that you mention it, yes. Yes that is exactly it."

"I hate it when I'm right." She turned to her friend. "Guess we'll just have to get more, then. And keep a closer eye on him." She glanced back to Ed warily.

* * *

"Basically Ed, you're not getting out of our sights," Cha-Cha told him, grasping his arm gently and leading him out to the store. Jerk. She wouldn't do that to him! She wouldn't just sneak away. Besides, didn't he want to be in a tiny dressing room with her? "And carry your own clothes," she added with a grin, passing the shirts back to him.

* * *

"You picked them out, I'm considering them yours," he teased. He held the clothes without a fight anyway. Let them pick out whatever they wanted with less commentary than before. Didn't mean he wouldn't argue later though. He wasn't sorry for earlier, he thought it was kind of amusing. But they apparently didn't agree, so he didn't say much about it.

* * *

"Oh, I see. Am I paying? Will I be wearing them?" Cha-Cha pointed out with a giggle, getting into line. She'd leave the boring men's business wear to him. Unless he decided he wanted to try drag one day. Then she'd consider it.

* * *

"I'd probably get smacked for saying yes to either of those, so...I'm gonna go with I love you." Did that get him out of trouble? Not that he would use that only in times to save himself. Handy as it was.

* * *

"Aww. I love it when you tell me that with no ulterior motive at all," Cha-Cha giggled, leaning in to kiss his cheek. Well, as long as it was true, he could have some ulterior motive. As long as it wasn't too ulterior, right?

* * *

"None, whatsoever," he nodded, smiling at her touch. Hey, it worked. She was giggling, and that's all that mattered. Ed handed over the money and picked up the bag of clothing. "Where to now, my dear?"

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, bringing her hand down his arm in order to clasp his. "Well...what haven't we browsed yet?" Shirts, pants...both the basics.

"Accessories," Ivana mouthed from her position behind Ed. Not that it would matter if she said it aloud. Ed couldn't comprehend the horror of sending the girls on an accessory spree yet. Soon, soon. Cha-Cha's eyes widened in realization and she looked at Ed.

"How many hats do you own?" she asked calmly.

* * *

That was a funny thing to ask. "I don't know," he admitted. She hadn't been very approving of the last one he'd had on. "Enough," he shrugged. What, like, five? Some appeared without any real origin. Who really knew?

* * *

"No such thing," Cha-Cha corrected him. "What about ties? Briefcases? Jewellery?"

"Boy jewellery," Ivana assured him. Like rings and chains and things. No jewels. Well...maybe a couple jewels...? She wouldn't push it. Yet.

* * *

"'Boy jewelry'. That sounds mature," he laughed. "And...I don't know, I don't count ties. Plenty? A few watches... Maybe...two briefcases?" He hardly needed them. Gun and badge were daily items. A briefcase was only necessary when he had so much paperwork it needed to come home with him.

* * *

"That's it?" Cha-Cha asked, nodding at Ivana. Oh yeah, it was on. Man could not live on a few accessories alone. Well, they definitely couldn't, anf they were as man as he was. Sort of. "Okay. Where can we get some good man-accessories..."

"It won't be too girly Ed, promise," Ivana added with a laugh.

* * *

"Alright, I'll trust you two. Just don't push it too far, okay?" Though he had to admit, they'd handled themselves much better than he had expected today. Their judgment was better than he'd anticipated. They hadn't gone for outrageous things. Well, a few times yes, as a joke.

* * *

"Probably not your smartest move, but good for us," Ivana giggled. Well, they did have impeccable taste. What they'd picked out for him hadn't been that bad. Nothing too crazy right? Nothing that would scare him away.

Scaring him away would be very bad. There were going to be many more shopping trips.

* * *

That's what she thought. Two against one wasn't a game he liked to play, and he'd avoid it when he could. They were in luck though. Ed wouldn't let anything scare him away from his Cha-Cha. Even if Ivana had ended up being a lot worse. "Well you two are the experts, right?"

* * *

"I don't know about _experts_!" Cha-Cha giggled with fake-modesty. Very fake. "Maybe...well...yeah, actually, experts," she grinned.

"Whatever we are, you need us. No offence," Ivana added. Hey, everybody needed them. It wasn't just him.

* * *

Flattery did indeed work wonders on them. Never failed. "None taken," he laughed. Maybe he could lighten up his wardrobe a little. If it made Cha-Cha happy without making him miserable at the same time._ Stop complaining Ed, enjoy the day!_ He smiled along with the girls and headed for the door, moving on to the next store.

* * *

Of course flattery worked. Anything to expand the girls' already large egos. Cha-Cha took her hand out of his, slipping it around his waist instead. "What sorts of things would you wear, do you think? In terms of accessories?" she asked. There were really a ton of different things. Scarves, different bags, cool socks...he could get something pierced! Endless possibilities.

* * *

No bags. Nothing purse like, thank you. "Got any suggestions?" he asked. Didn't want to suggest anything they hadn't thought of and add more the their list. If he could read his mind about the piercings idea, it might remind him of the time he entertained the idea of getting a tattoo. A faint little idea that had sparked when he got shot. Get something cool around the scar or you know. But he didn't think he'd ever get around to it.

* * *

Cha-Cha repeated the ideas she'd had in her head, including the piercing. "Course they hurt like crazy, but it's not so bad. You could handle it," she added, touching the hoop on her lobe gently.

"Oh look at you, talking. Miss 'My ears are gonna fall off', crying in the bathroom Cueva. It didn't hurt that much," Ivana pointed out with a giggle.

"That girl was inexperienced, okay? The needle was goin' all over the place, she coulda pierced my eye for all I knew!" Cha-Cha defended herself.

* * *

Ed's grin grew. "Aww," he cooed. That mental image...poor little girl. Definitely could picture her crying afterward. It was a little adorable if you looked past the pain she was feeling part.

Anyway, this was a perk of having a friend around. Old stories. Hearing them call her Miss Taco Bell last week had almost killed him.

* * *

And Ivana had a ton of them that she would give up freely. Whether Cha-Cha objected or not.

"It was traumatizing, Eddie! And they all make fun of me cause...cause they're just mean," Cha-Cha pouted, her other arm joining it's twin around his waist. She got closer to Ed as they walked, and thusly further from Ivana. Double whammy.

"Please, girl! You didn't even bleed!"

* * *

Ed kissed the top of her head affectionately. "Darling it is perfectly acceptable to cry." Out of her line of vision now he smiled. So much for that toughness she bragged about. To humor her since she felt picked on he asked, "What kind of piercing can you see me getting?" The pain didn't intimidate him. He'd been shot; he could handle a little needle. "Although," he thought back a moment, "I figured if a needle was going to be involved somehow it'd be a tattoo or something. I can't image me with a piercing." He'd never mentioned the idea before. Had no idea whether the idea of a tattoo suited him. "I'm not doing it today, " just to clarify. "But what kind of piercing?" Out of curiosity.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled at the kiss, and Ivana smirked at his smile. And for the record, of course they'd all comforted Cha-Cha while it was going on. But looking back, it really was a non-issue.

That was a good question. He couldn't get anything too flashy, but something subtle would be very nice indeed. "Ear, maybe? Left ear, don't worry baby," Cha-Cha giggled. He wasn't used to being open yet, she knew. Perking up at the tattoo idea, she urged him, "what type of tattoo? That would be okay." That would be very okay.

* * *

"Forget about it," he laughed. "Wasn't really a serious idea..." Though having some tough looking tattoo around the scar could be fun to use as an intimidation thing with suspects. Don't mess with him and all that. Then again maybe Cha-Cha would attempt to get something implying love. That wouldn't help to scare people, would it? he thought, amused.

* * *

"No really, what type of tattoo?" Cha-Cha kept pushing. She'd never dated a man with a tattoo before, but there was somthing about them...not too many, of course. A good ninety percent of his body would have to be untouched at least. But a small one somewhere... "And where are you thinking?"

* * *

"I dunno, just something around the scar the bullet left. Thought it might come in handy, you know, interrogating suspects. Intimidation tactic." He wouldn't have been the first. Schotz had one that even made Ed nervous when he saw it. Probably a mixture of his name, the wording, and the fact that his wound was much uglier.

* * *

Scar? Cha-Cha tried to think of where that could be. She must've seen it before right? "Right. Where would that be?" she asked, frowning softly. One more thing he'd never told her about. Even if he had good reason, she was surprised he told her the same time he told Ivana. Especially after what they'd just gone through.

* * *

Ivana was surprised Cha-Cha didn't know where it was. That seemed strange.

Ed had tried to dismiss the tattoo idea so this wouldn't happen. He figured she would not want to admit she hadn't seen it in front of her friend. "Telling you wouldn't be any fun. Try and find it when we get home tonight."

A game? "Can I help you?" Ivana asked Cha-Cha. Examining every inch of Ed's body? She was in. Purely for the sake of her friend.

* * *

Cha-Cha was torn between laughing at her friend and being annoyed with Ed. She picked the former, giggling and shaking her head. "It won't be where you're looking, hon. Not if some criminals are gonna be intimidated..." she paused, looking at her man. "Or at least, they better not see it in that case," she told him with a grin.

"You take the fun out of everything," Ivana teased.

* * *

"Tough luck," he said to Ivana with a shrug. Cha-Cha was in charge. "And don't worry, it's in an appropriate spot for showing off." He sensed that not entirely happy vibe. Okay well he couldn't have told her he had a scar without telling her he'd gotten shot, right? She had had enough to worry about concerning the sneaking around, throwing on 'By the way I could die' seemed too much. And yeah he sorta thought it would dawn on her that police get shot at.

* * *

Maybe that was the problem. Maybe alot of times she didn't see him as cop. Yeah, she knew it obviously, but...it wasn't really a present thing to them. He went off to work, but he didn't tell her all that much about what he encountered. Moaned about paperwork sometimes, but other than that...

"Well, what were you thinking of, anyway, for the tattoo?" she asked. Specifics?

* * *

"Nothing too elaborate." Ed had actually thought about it a lot. But he didn't like talking about it for some reason. "Something small, but still gets the 'don't mess with us' message across." Us meaning him and Lennie. They were merged together in his mind. Where one went the other followed. If he wasn't careful he'd probably tattoo 'us' onto himself and suspects would think he had split personalities. Wait, that would be scary...

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, thinking about it. "So like a...skull or something? A snake?" she guessed. Boys. Always going for the spooky, tough look. Course, she'd rather him have a snake than a butterfly, that was for sure. She was sure he'd agree.

* * *

"Too overdone. I'll have to think of something more original." Or she would and let him know. "What about here?" he asked, nodding to a store. He'd almost forgot they were walking. A slow pace, considering how both arms were around him so she couldn't walk normally, but they were moving.

* * *

Ivana nodded. She'd never been in, but it looked as good as any. Cha-Cha finally unhooked her arms from around his waist, taking his hand instead.

"Eddie, if you want a tattoo that will really be scary, may I make a suggestion?" Ivana grinned, pointing to a pair of plaid, courderoy pants. Ugh. Who came up with these things? And worse, who would actually wear them?

* * *

"I don't think they could handle that," he laughed. Turning to Cha-Cha he asked, "Would you still talk to me if I got that?" He wouldn't. "Hey, where you goin'," he said, accidentally whining as he tried to put her arm back around him carefully. Ed didn't whine. He was above whining!

* * *

Cha-Cha's eyes widened, though she didn't object to her arms wrapping back around his waist.. "Ed...that...violates so many rules in my book," she got out finally, grinning slightly. He was just kidding, right? She thought he was kidding. He'd better be kidding.

"Lord Ed, as sweet as you are, that would _ruin_ it," Ivana added, completely serious.

* * *

"I was just kidding," he laughed, amazed by that reaction. It hadn't even been his idea! "I'd never do that." That would be enough cause to leave him? Girls and their fashion... Mind boggling.

* * *

Maybe not leave him, but he'd be required to wear a shirt at all times to cover it up. No fun for anyone. "It's scary, Ed! You can't get anything that scares me too much," she decided. Yes, she did get a say in this. She was the girlfriend, it was allowed. Did he really want her cowering every time she saw that part of his body?

* * *

"Alright. If I ever do get one I'll have you okay it first. Sound good?" He looked around the store they'd just entered. A bit higher up on the food chain than the past two. They'd either love it or hate it, and he waited for their reactions a bit nervously. But hey, if he had to get...what did they call them...man accessories? then it'd be a new watch as far as he was concerned, and here would be the place to find it.

* * *

"Yep. Really though, how scary does it have to be?" Cha-Cha asked with a shrug as she began sifting through a rack of ties. It was so hard to pass up the pretty coloured ones, but she doubted he'd approve of pink. Or yellow and pink. Just a little girly.

* * *

"I don't think scary is the right word. Think intimidation." Like barbed wire or something. On your stomach though? Well, lower rib area really. Maybe if they went and looked at some tattoo parlors for an idea? No, he wouldn't really get a tattoo. Would he?

"I'm going to wander over to watches, do you two wanna come or look around here longer?"

* * *

"How much high risk are watches?" Cha-Cha considered, looking at Ivana. Watches were watches right? Not too hard to mess up. They could probably trust him, right? He did wear those Rolex ones, he had to have some sort of style. Or he just liked spending ridiculous amounts of money. Either way it was a nice looking watch.

"We'll get some ties picked out for you," Ivana decided. She was already holding a silk sky blue one with pin stripes. "You can go."

* * *

It felt weird having to almost ask permission, but he walked off on his own. They couldn't mess ties up, right? And about his watches, it may be a bit fun to buy the expensive ones. Just a rare splurge he allowed himself. Hey, he used it every day. Got his moneys worth out of it. Oh and wines too, thought he doubted Cha-Cha could tell what was what with those. That was fine, she'd probably yell about the prices if she knew.

Soon he returned to his girls, a bag in hand, asking how they were doing.

* * *

After a few ties they'd moved onto the other vita accessories. Ivana had a pair of sunglasses in hand, Cha-Cha was looking at the belts. "Fine," the Latina replied, turning around to face him. "Ooh, what'd you get?" she asked, coming forward to peek in the bag.

* * *

"A watch, like I said," he answered, shifting a bit so the bag was out of her sight. He hadn't gotten the price tag off yet. He was positive she'd approve of it itself, just...maybe not the idea that it was around what she would have paid for two months rent. "Can I see what you've found?" He owned sunglasses already. Sort of. They had magically appeared one day. These looked much better than them though, and he hadn't even gotten a good look yet. Bravo ladies.

* * *

Cha-Cha vaguely wondered why he wasn't letting her see the watch, but was quickly distracted by his question. She held up some of the ties; the pink one, a rather bright orange, a more gold-ish colour; while Ivana showed off the sunglasses. "Whatcha think?" Cha-Cha asked. She didn't expect him to go for some of the ties. Maybe a little to bright for him, some of them. But the sunglasses, if she said so herself, were stylin'.

* * *

Ed opened his mouth, paused, closed, and thought about it before trying again. "The...gold...one?" Favorite of the three. Definitely not a pink or a bright orange kind of person. But if he ever had to take her to the prom and she decided to wear pink or orange he'd be set. Considering they were both well over high school age that didn't seem likely. Cha-Cha owning those colors? Very likely. Maybe he should get them just for the fun of it. If he didn't, in the near future something would come up where it was absolutely necessary for pink. Things like that always happened. He took all three from her. Looked to Ivana. Sunglasses, yes. Very nice.

* * *

Cha-Cha beamed. So it looked like all that got the stamp of approval. "Told you we were good shoppers!" she teased. And he thought they'd only try to get him into girly clothes! No, trust her, as fun as it would be to see him all prettied up...maybe once, she liked her man to be a man. He let her be her preferred gender, she did the same.

* * *

"They're coming home, honey. Whether or not they'll be worn anytime soon, I can't promise anything..." He'd find a reason to eventually, just to please her. Anyone could see that coming.

It occurred to him that he'd managed to fit in more pet names in the last few hours than he had all week. Nervous reaction to having one of her friends around? He was slowly turning into Cha-Cha? He just agreed to buy something pink! A scary thought indeed.

* * *

"Well, here's hoping, baby. Personally, I think it'd be sexy, but that's just me..." What? There was still something about a man so willing to please his girlfriend that was really appealing. And she had no problem whatsoever with the pet names. As long as it didn't get too creepy, keep em coming.

* * *

Ed laughed. Sometimes it was hard to tell if she was serious or just wanted her own way. "Are we done with this store, then?" he asked, going over the items again. He'd like the colors better on her, but he'd try it. Posted by Cha-Cha de los Santos Perez... on Jun 15, 2008, 6:58pm"Maybe. What other colours would you be willing to wear?" Ivana asked, thinking about it. They had ties in every colour of the rainbow on that rack. Might as well get as many as he'd let them.

"Ed will wear anything if I want him to," Cha-Cha teased him with a giggle. Well, it was pretty much true. He was buying pink, and he couldn't tell her he'd buy it if it weren't for her.

* * *

"Isn't this a good enough start?" he asked with a smile. Come on ladies, he was giving in already. Don't get greedy. "And, hey, I'm not that easy." It had taken how long to get him out here with her? And part of the reason he was surrendering was because it was the third store and he was just about ready to suggest they call it a day.

* * *

"Okay, Ed," Cha-Cha snorted. He was so that easy. Repeat; he was getting _pink_. It was definitely because she wanted him to. Otherwise, it was because Ivana wanted him to. And he'd better not be doing it to please Ivana, if he knew what was good for him!

"Okay, fine. What store next then?" Ivana asked.

* * *

"Do you feel like dinner yet?" It was probably a little after six, shopping could be considered done now, right?

"Depends, does that mean I have to go home?"

Ed shook his head. "You're coming with us." He assumed that was alright with Cha-Cha. The point was to be bonding with Ivana, right?

* * *

It would be weird to have a dinner not just the two of them, but they got that every day. Cha-Cha wouldn't object to her best friend joining them, though. "Where do you want to go?"

"Well, we already saw Carmine this week," Ivana giggled, looking to them for suggestions.

* * *

He shrugged. "Look around nearby?" It didn't matter to him. Wherever they ended up was fine with him.

* * *

Finally they decided on a place. A place Ed had taken her on a date once, and had proven to be pretty good. After finally being seated, Ivana started looking through the menu.

"What do you guys think?" she asked.

* * *

Ed pointed out what they'd tried before. Ivana nodded and kept that in mind. He opted for something new. Look, all kinds of new things being tried today, it was a record. Though eating a different dish didn't really compare to wearing girl colors. Yes, that was what he considered the things he'd bought today to be.

* * *

After ordering, Ivana grabbed her purse. "I'm gonna go use the little queen's room...you coming?" she asked Cha-Cha. Ooh. Awkward position. Girls didn't generally go to the bathroom alone, or so it seemed to go. Cha-Cha never took history or nothing, she didn't know for sure, but it sure seemed that way. But at the same time, this was prime alone-with-Ed time. Only a few minutes but...

"Nah, I'm good," she beamed, watching her friend go.

* * *

Ed jokingly dropped his jaw. "I've never seen a woman go alone. Where's a camera when you need one?" But he appreciated her staying with him, moments alone were few and far between today. They'd been supremely spoiled lately, having all day everyday together.

Ed had been worried his hiding habit would be hard to break. It probably would have been, if they hadn't had so much free time. Almost three full weeks. If it had been okay to be public with him still working those long hours, it may not have seemed like anything changed. But they definitely were getting used to it, and almost too much so. Aside from those few rocky days, they'd been inseparable. Ed started work Monday...and he couldn't take her with him. He wondered if it would be harder to be away from her now than it had been before. He hadn't known what being with her constantly had felt like. Didn't have something to miss this much.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled to herself, watching Ivana go quickly. Once gone, she reached across to take Ed's hands in hers. "I think stranger things have happened," she pointed out. The fact Ed Green was out with more than one drag queen was proof of that. How did he go from not even holding her hand, to having the both of them hanging off of him?

* * *

It wasn't all by choice, that was for sure. "True." He smiled at her touch. "So on a scale from one to ten, how would you rate this afternoon? One being crash and burn, ten being we're all moving in together." Okay even if eventually all five of them were one big happy, no one was moving in.

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned. "I dunno...eight and a half-ish?" she guessed. Really it was his opinion that counted. She already knew she was going to have a good time. She loved Ivana, she loved Ed. Instant happy. "She's not so bad, right? In terms of the hyper department. No worse than me, anyway," few were worse than Cha-Cha.

* * *

Cha-Cha thought his opinion counted, and Ed was under the impression it was Ivana's that mattered. "You know, I actually think you have her beat." He had seen Cha-Cha fluttering around with more energy than Ivana before. "Do you think I'll get a good review?" he wondered. He'd behaved, right? If a positive report reached the other two that'd be great.

* * *

"You should. You'd better," Cha-Cha nodded. "You wore pink for us! What else do you have to do...sing Broadway musicals?" she laughed it off. "Actually...now that I mention it..." she hid her giggling face behind her hand. That would be the day. One very fine, very...interesting day. A trillion and five years away.

* * *

Ed rolled his eyes. Him, singing? That'll be the day. He liked them, but not that much. "I will not be talked into that. Not even _you_ could get me to." And he was determined to uphold that statement.

"What are we going to do about Grace and Rusty?" Shopping wouldn't work on all three, would it? Seemed too easy. "Just hope this helps?"

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed softly. That was the million dollar question. She wasn't even sure. "I think...well, I think Rusty will be easier. She was already kind of leaning in our direction. Sort of supportive, anyway," she sighed, trying to think. "Maybe we should just start small with them. Take them out for lunch sometime, work our way up to dinner."

* * *

_What made Ivana so easy?_ he wondered. Either she actually liked him, or she felt for Cha-Cha. Whichever, he'd take it. "Sounds good," he said, agreeing. They'd want that, and Ed wasn't overjoyed with the idea of seeing them either.

Ivana returned, smiling as Ed still had one of Cha-Cha's hands in his. "I miss anything?"

* * *

"Nope," Cha-Cha smiled. She didn't bother to take her hand from Ed's. Later on when the food came, obviously they'd let go, but for now nobody had any problem with it. "In fact, feel free to go away again any time!"

"Oh, ha ha. You slay me," Ivana rolled her eyes. "At least Ed still wants me around, right Ed?" she asked.

* * *

"Of course," he agreed. Hopelessly devoted to winning her over? Better believe it.

Throughout the day it had gotten easier and easier to talk around Ivana, and by the middle of dinner it was definitely looking like she and Ed would be getting along just fine. She and Cha-Cha were fine teasing him from the beginning, and he eventually caught up, comfortable enough to be joking with her. He was careful to keep it light and funny without any implied insults sarcasm sometimes came with.

* * *

And Ivana was having a time of her life. More than once she ended up laughing louder than both of them, getting glances towards their table. Embarrassing, maybe for someone else, but Cha-Cha personally was relieved. She knew this couldn't fail. How could two people she loved so much not get along?

"We should do this more often," Ivana decided between bites of her dinner.

* * *

"We should." Relief flooded him. He passed the test for one of the girls. The other two couldn't be far behind, right? "Just let one of us know when you're free." Assuming he wasn't working, they'd be there. And he hoped she caught the 'us' implication. She didn't have to strictly go through Cha-Cha. He had a feeling if he answered the phone when she called she'd ask for her friend anyway, but the invite to talk to him was at least out there.

* * *

"I will. Next time we should bring Grace though. Rusty too, if she wanted to," Ivana suggested. Cha-Cha nodded, though with a somewhat forced smile. Not that she didn't want to spend time with all of her friends...but it would be nice if her lover wasn't alienated in the process.

"We'll see how it goes," Cha-Cha responded, recognizing the disappointed look on Ivana's face.

"They will come around, Eddie. You told him they'd come around, right?" she added to Cha-Cha.

"He knows," she sighed. Eventually.

* * *

Ed's smile matched Cha-Cha's. "Maybe one at a time?" A fair suggestion, yes? He didn't want to jump into it. Why couldn't they all be Ivana's? Life would be so much simpler. Worrying about this was stress he could do without. Why did life through every problem at them all at once?

* * *

"Might be best," Cha-Cha agreed, watching the redhead. Ivana nodded, thinking about it.

"Maybe Rusty, then. She's probably more on your side already."

"That's what I said!" Cha-Cha nodded.

* * *

"I didn't really get a great vibe from either, but if you two agree I'll take your word for it." Ed found a way to slowly lead into a different topic. Something to end the evening with smiles, not worried frowns. Soon they were paying and standing and still happily talking.

* * *

"And we don't have to pay for our own dinner! This day just gets better and better," Ivana giggled. So far, she just didn't see how her friends could disapprove. He was a nice guy and obviously made Cha-Cha happy. If he didn't, or if he hurt her ikn anyway, Ivana knew for a fact the Flawless winner wouldn't stick around.

"Oh yeah. I will never pay again," Cha-Cha agreed with a laugh.

* * *

"Spoiled rotten," Ed sighed in defeat. Did anyone really expect him to hand the check over to her? The one and only time she'd paid was that first lunch. And even then hadn't they split it or something? He couldn't remember. He just recalled her. Leading the girls out, he jokingly asked, "So who's in charge of getting us home?" Ivana pointed to him. "Surprise."

* * *

"You drove us here, Eddie!" Cha-Cha whined. They could walk Ivana back to her apartment at least. But otherwise, unless they were walking...really it was the subway driver who'd be getting them home anyway. Of course Ed would be paying for said subway, but...why did this even matter anyway? "I'm not _that_ spoiled," she added huffily. Ivana laughed out loud.

* * *

"Yeah okay," she mumbled jokingly.

"You're walking distance, right?" he asked. They'd take her home. Maybe go up and say hi. Preferably not, in Ed's opinion, but he wouldn't stop Cha-Cha if she wanted to.

* * *

"Yep! Only a few blocks." That could be hellish in high heels, but they'd manage. Neither girl mentiones seeing Grace yet. Whether it hadn't come to mind, or they just didn't want to mention it.

* * *

Well...that went fast. The girls weren't crying about their feet, so all was well. Ed looked at the building with false interest. "Are we going up, or are you ready to head home?" Too tired to visit? Gee darn.

* * *

"Trying to get rid of me, Ed?" Ivana teased. "You guys can do whatever while I'm around, you know, it's ok...within reason," she added quickly. Cha-Cha laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Do you want us to go up with you? And see Grace?" she asked. As much as she wanted to see her friend, would that be the best idea right now?

* * *

"Yeah. Be brave," Ivana decided. She lead the way, and Ed followed, trying to not look disappointed. On the elevator ride up he attempted to think of something to talk about in case they didn't just stop by for a quick hello. Which he was really hoping for. Hi, how are you, great, goodbye. He held Cha-Cha's waist as they walked, and Ivana insisted she be included again, snatching one of his arms.

"Five more minutes, then I swear I'm done," she promised Cha-Cha.

* * *

"Fine, fine okay," Cha-Cha sighed, smiling gently. Not that she didn't want to see Grace; she definitely did. But it was guaranteed awkward. Obviously Ivana didn't get that, though, and stuck her key in the door.

Grace got off the couch, hugging Cha-Cha quickly. She greeted them, but noticeably only said 'hello', rather than specifying who she was talking to.

* * *

Ed had been hoping for Ivana to let go _before_ the door was opened. But no, that didn't occur to her. She liked him, he liked her, what's the problem? He subtly tried to pull out of her reach, and she took it as too much annoying fidgeting and released him, jumping onto Grace the second her friend had finished with Cha-Cha. "Have I got stories to tell you," she squeaked. Their first outing and already they traumatized a worker.

* * *

"That many, huh?" Grace smiled softly, though didn't look Ed in the face yet. Cha-Cha returned to her place beside him, making her position known. He may not be well liked by Grace, but Cha-Cha was still with him and would act that way. Period, end of story, get used to it. No offence.

"Next time you need to come," Cha-Cha offered. Somehow she wondered if Grace would agree, but the invitation was there.

* * *

"Definitely!" Ivana agreed. She had a blast. Of course she went into it wanting to like him. If Grace started off determined to find a flaw in everything he did, the outcome probably would differ.

Ed waited to be acknowledged. And trusted Cha-Cha to keep the visit short.

* * *

Cha-Cha kept her hand in Ed's, though managed to work a quick yawn in there. Hint hint? "And you will look absolutely dashing in pink and purple and green," Cha-Cha added with a giggle, bringing her other hand up to rest on his arm.

"Oh, I'm sure," Grace replied with a slightly forced smile. More than slightly.

"He will," Ivana agreed insistently. If Grace could say anything about him, he last thing she could do was deny his attractiveness. She wouldn't believe it, not from Grace, not from anybody.

* * *

"Shopping tire you out, hun?" he asked sympathetically. Or at least the walk from the restaurant to here? She didn't seem like she'd surrender while shopping. "Let's call it a day." Grace didn't seem in the mood to bond right now.

* * *

"Mm, a little," Cha-Cha admitted. Not that bad, but the awkward was pretty easy to detect. Better to make a run for it this time. Try another time, when everybody was a little more ready. She rubbed her eye for effect. "Maybe in a few weeks we can do this again?"

"A few weeks!" Ivana protested.

"Hey, we might not even be here," she replied with a grin. No, she had not and would be be forgetting Florida.

* * *

"Well...there's always tomorrow," Ivana said with large eyes.

"What is tomorrow?" Ed asked. He lost track of the days when he was laying around the house so much.

"Monday," she answered.

"I work tomorrow." He paused. "Oh my god I work tomorrow." That meant he needed to get home and sleep too. And...be alive tomorrow. Wake up early. Dress professionally. Leave his Cha-Cha at home!

* * *

Cha-Cha frowned to herself. Had it been a week already? Well...okay maybe so. But still, how dare he go out and make a living? Didn't he know he was needed at home?

Now she was going to be cold in bed, and she'd have to get up at a decent hour. Poo on him. But Tuesday he'd be free, and they'd pick up right where they left off.

"Should we go?" she asked him quietly, pretending to be disappointed. Well, she was disappointed, but more so about losing him to the 27th Precinct. No offence, Ivana and Grace.

* * *

"Yeah, I didn't realize what day it was." He looked to Ivana. And Ivana only. If Grace was going to ignore him... "Any other day we'd be happy to stay." What a shame they had to split so fast.

* * *

"Next week sometime. Promise," Cha-Cha agreed, though she was already heading toward the door. Much as she loved Grace, she did not like that look they were getting. Or rather, the complete non-look; Grace's eyes were stuck on the floor.

Before leaving she hugged both girls. "Please, Grace," she whispered in the girl's ear during the embrace.

* * *

Grace made an acknowledging noise.

Alone in the hallway, Ed held his love's hand on the way to the elevator. He didn't really know what to say. Was it better than last time? There'd been no insults or implications thrown back and forth. On the other hand, there wasn't much of anything exchanged.

* * *

She kept close to him, stepping onto the elevator. "At least you kept an open mind," she mumbled. Unlike some people. And look, they'd ended up having an awesome time. Now why couldn't Grace and Rusty learn to do the same thing? "Thanks for at least trying that stuff, by the way. Even if you'll never wear any of it," she laughed softly.

* * *

"I'll try them at least once," he offered. More out of determination to look better than the others than actually wanting to. Not that he'd admit that. Ed was less and less interested in winning Grace over. Each time they saw each other and she stayed distant his 'why bother' thoughts got stronger. But...a certain somebody wanted him to try...

* * *

"Really? They weren't all girly," Cha-Cha giggled. They were good shoppers! Really. Even for boys' clothes. It just so happened that most of the nice boys' clothes they found were a little girly as well. It was to be expected. "But what would Lennie think of you turned up in a purple shirt and pink tie?"

* * *

"Well, maybe not to the precinct.." And maybe not both together. But elsewhere was worth a shot. If he didn't feel too weird, he'd keep it up. "Speaking of the precinct though, I can't believe a week went by so fast." Actually, if they thought about it, he'd been off three weeks... Where did the time go?

* * *

"I know," Cha-Cha moaned, stepping off the elevator. Too fast, in her opinion. She could take a couple more days of complete and utter relaxation with him. It would be lonely without him. Quieter, definitely. Cha-Cha wasn't a huge fan of quiet. "When's your next day off? Tuesday?"

* * *

"Yeah." At least he finally got his shorter schedule, right? A bit too short now for his liking, but she wouldn't be complaining. "I don't know how I'm going to get up in the morning." Six thirty, when he hadn't been rolling out til after nine? That wouldn't be fun.

* * *

"Yeah, how am I gonna let you go?" Cha-Cha complained. The sad part was, she'd probably be getting up right along with him. She couldn't get back to sleep too easy, and if he woke her while he was getting up, she was done for. "I'm gonna be lonely!" she added with a sigh.

* * *

"Do you wanna meet for lunch?" he asked. Five hours apart, lunch together, then another seven or so. "We're grown adults," Ed laughed. "We should be able to handle a few hours away from each other." Pause. "Well, I'm an adult, anyway. I don't know about you."

* * *

Cha-Cha gaped at him, her mouth quickly closing in a pout. "_I am in my twenties_," she reminded him, though was careful not to mention a specific number. As much as she didn't want to be old, she was very mature, thank you very much! Probably more mature than him even. Definitely. She'd out-mature him any day. She'd gladly prove it, too!!

* * *

Out mature him? Please. That'll be the day. "Yeah that doesn't mean much," he teased. Just kidding. "But anyway, Cha-Cha, lunch?" With Lennie, but maybe he'd save that for a surprise. So she'd actually come. He wanted to see his partner after such a long break, and her too.

* * *

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'm not _adult_ enough for you," Cha-Cha hmphed. "What time?" Okay, she couldn't resist him for long. He was addicting, she was weak. It really was a shame. It made it awfully hard to be mad, and stay mad at him.

* * *

"Twelve-ish. I'll give you a call to let you know for sure." It sometimes depended on what they were doing. If they were on the phone or filling out a paper they wouldn't just leave in the middle. Actually Ed would like to. Lennie made him stay. Occasionally his partner didn't even leave for lunch. But Ed liked to get out of the building for a while.

* * *

"I'll try to fit it into the schedule," Cha-Cha smirked. The one that consisted of sleeping and talking to Ivana and Grace. Oh, and as of recently, snuggling. Yeah, she was a busy bee indeed. "I have a ton of...meetings, and...audits and stuff." Mature things like that. To herself, Cha-Cha wondered what an audit actually consisted of.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it," he laughed. Before he knew it they were in the car and halfway home. They'd be going to sleep early tonight, which wasn't fun. Waking up early would be even less enjoyable.

* * *

Cha-Cha was a little tired, fine, but she could easily get energized again. Somehow she doubted he would be up to that. The morning was not going to be pretty. It would come too soon. He wouldn't want to plop into bed the second they got in, would he? "Are you tired?" she asked.

* * *

That was exactly what he planned to do. "Not really, but I should get to sleep early. I will be in the morning if I don't." Wasn't that a great ending to such a fun day? Going home and sleeping. "Don't feel like you have to though."

* * *

"But what's the point of an all nighter if you're not staying up with me?" Cha-Cha asked. Yes, she was a bad influence, and felt little to no shame about it. Seriously though, what was there to do? Watch tv? ...See, she couldn't even think of anything else. And she didn't think anything too amazing would be on so late.

* * *

When they reached home Ed immediately changed and headed for the bed. _It's way too early to be sleeping_ his body told him. But he'd at least lay there. Maybe he'd fall asleep from boredom? He knew if he stayed up he'd regret it tomorrow. He waited for Cha-Cha to come in sight and asked jokingly with a smile "No guilt tripping me to stay awake, okay?" It would work. And that wasn't nice.

* * *

"...Fine. But you know deep down in your soul that ten o clock is not an appropriate time for sleep," Cha-Cha chided playfully. Shuffling into the bedroom, she started a search for her pajama pants. Turned out they were right where she'd left them; in the top drawer of the dresser. A smirk appeared on her lips as she realized it how uncommon it was for her to wear them to bed. Or anything, for that matter. "What time will you be home tomorrow?" she asked, pulling them on.

* * *

"Seven or eight, I'm guessing. It depends on what we're doing." He crawled into bed. "And you're right. It's definitely not time to be here." But it was comfortable. One good thing. "Are you staying up or getting in?" he asked.

* * *

"I _guess_ I'm getting in," Cha-Cha sighed, going into the washroom to get ready. What choice did she have? There was nothing on tv, there was nobody else to talk to. Of course lying with him was always nice, but after three weeks of just that, the novelty wore off a tiny touch. Of course tomorrow, after so many hours apart, he probably wouldn't be able to pry her off. Sad when two people couldn't stand a couple of hours apart, but she was already dreading having to let him go.

Finishing up, she climbed into bed with him. "This feels weird," she admitted with a small smile.

* * *

"I know," he agreed, rolling over a bit to hug her close. Going right to sleep was not their routine. "I'll make it up to you tomorrow," promised Ed. "Sorry in advance for waking you up in the morning." _Now, will yourself to sleep._


	19. A Change in Plans

Cha-Cha is played by Operatic. Ed by BOWIEgirl.

* * *

A Change in Plans

Ed angrily swatted at his alarm as it went off early. Ew, sunlight. He fumbled his way out of Cha-Cha's arms and into the bathroom for a shower. As it began to wake him up, a rather obscure thought came to him. He thought about it the entire time he was in there. Cha-Cha had never really paid much attention to it when it came up in conversation, but he had.

Stepping out he called "Your turn!" He assumed she was awake after that annoying buzz from the alarm. After he wrapped a towel around his waist he casually leaned against the wall, blocking the shower door. He wanted a minute before she got in.

* * *

How far was the window from the bed? Could an alarm clock go sailing out it if she tried hard enough?

Dammit. That would take more effort than it was worth. She'd have to get up anyway to open the window. Then go back and actually throw the device. By the time she was up, she was up to stay. A shower didn't sound all that wonderful either. Too cold, too early.

Eventually she lugged herself out of bed, sighing as she headed to the bathroom in search of towels. "Morning," she mumbled, not yet noticing how he was looking at her.

* * *

"Good morning." Wow, she definitely had not woken up yet, had she? Ed smiled. And here they'd gone to bed so early. Apparently it didn't matter, getting up early was never a good time. Except he had an idea that might improve it.

* * *

Cha-Cha tossed a few towels over her arm, heading to the shower. Now she knew something was up. "Need the shower please," she grinned, pretending to push him past. "What's up?"

* * *

Ed seemingly moved out of the way, but caught her around the waist from behind. He pulled her to him nice and tight, her back against his chest. There we go. He kissed her cheek. Her neck. Aside from simply enjoying it, he actually had a second reason. And he'd tell her in a minute.

* * *

Cha-Cha wasn't expecting it, but wasn't complaining. At all. Sighing softly, she tilted her head slightly to give him more room. "It _is_ a good morning," she smirked, placing her hands on his arms affectionately. "What's goin on?"

* * *

Hmm. Not quite there yet. He massaged what area his hands could reach. Looking up a moment, he decided they need to shuffle over a step or two. Kissed her in a few more places. Ah, perfect. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, he smiled against her skin. "You've never seen yourself blush, right?" Her adorable, unmatchable shade of pink he could bring out in her. "Let's see what we can do about that..."

* * *

Her face was flush, and she was somewhere between giggling and moaning. "What about it?" she got out, rubbing her hands along his arms, trying to get in on the action herself. She couldn't bring up the effort to move her head and kiss him yet. Rather liked what he was doing without her help.

* * *

Ed rested his chin on her shoulder as his eyes looked into her reflection's. He smiled triumphantly. She'd gone even pinker than he'd anticipated. Good. "I wanted you to see one of the reasons I love you." Why? Well he hadn't really thought that in depth yet. It was early, and he was focused on the enjoyable _how_ part of the idea.

* * *

Cha-Cha wasn't sure what to do. She was struggling for words which was fine, since she was biting her lip too hard to talk anyway. "I can't believe you," she mumbled to herself. Words that could take on an angry tone, an incredulous one, were said with nothing but total wonder. Nobody had ever treated her like this...ever in her life. It was hard to take, in the best way possible.

Finally she got herself turned around, her arms instantly going around his neck. "What brought this on?" she asked softly.

* * *

Somehow it crossed his mind. "I don't remember, actually," he admitted. "I thought about it now and then but I never had a mirror handy." Being half dressed in the bathroom might've helped to. However it happened, it had worked out great. And even if she hadn't been impressed, he got to kiss her. So really it couldn't fail.

* * *

He was damn right he got to kiss her. She moved in to return it properly, her eyes closing. He brought her to the point where she couldn't even speak anymore. She could barely think. Plus, he'd done it in a (mostly) innocent way. It was safe to say no one had ever affected her like that before. But it made sense, didn't it? Nobody had ever said anything like that before to her. Well...nobody had ever meant it.

As he hands went to his towel, the unwelcome memory of his career strolled into her brain. She nearly bit him in annoyance, pulling away quickly. "What time is it?" she asked, moving her hands back up. She wasn't annoyed with him, _absolutely_ not annoyed with him, more at...the time and the date. Yeah, it was Monday's fault. She needed her man with her now.

* * *

"Probably time for me to get moving." He briefly kissed one more time then unwrapped her arms. Maybe he should have done it when he could stick around. But teasing her with something like this was fun. "I'll get out of your way and you can take your shower." He left in search of clothes.

* * *

Cha-Cha followed him out, shaking her head. "I'm sure you've got a little time, right?" she asked, trying to get herself back up against him. How could he leave just now?? After all that? Yeah, he couldn't be late for his first day back, but...but she needed him! Five minutes, ten would be absolute tops. How could he honestly do that to her? The day was going to be hard enough without him, now she was gonna be sitting in front of the clock.

* * *

"For you? Always." He stopped and let himself be wrapped up in her again. But only for a minute or two, and then he was sidestepping his way to the drawer again. Bringing her with him though, did that count for anything? "Imagine what life would be like if we didn't have to work." Go out whenever they wanted, and stay in as long as pleased. "If only, right?" He removed her again so he could pick out a shirt. Not one from yesterday. He wanted to go back normally.

* * *

"My life is like that," Cha-Cha reminded him with a grin. Well mostly, anyway. There was the club, but that was hardly 'work' work. Peering into the drawer, she pointed to a shirt she thought would look nice. Light blue; still a fairly harmless colour, but more interesting than starch white. Even though she had to say, the white really did bring a nice contrast against his skin. An attractive one.

* * *

"Well aren't you lucky?" He went with what she picked out. After a trip to the closet and once more to the bathroom, he was set. It felt good to be back in a suit. Strange how clothes changed how you viewed yourself. He felt lazy lately, dressing down and lounging around the house. Now he felt awake and more important. Nice.

Ed gave Cha-Cha another hug, and an almost too long kiss goodbye. "I'll call you for lunch," he reminded her.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, nodding her head. How long from now was lunch? An hour?...Two at the most? It worried her that it was only seven-ish. Twelve minus seven was...alot of hours. Five. That really was a ridiculous time period for her to be away from him. "I love you," she told him, finally letting go. What was she going to do for five whole hours?

* * *

It was kind of ridiculous how he felt like he was saying 'goodbye for years' when it was actually more along the lines of 'see you later'. This wasn't some tragedy, he was just going to work. But...ugh it was going to be brutal. "Love you," he echoed. And he was off.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed softly, watching the door close. Five hours alone. Such a lonely day it was going to be. Finally she headed off to a long-forgotten shower, singing loudly through it.

* * *

Ed had left a little after seven. He'd expected to come home around seven or eight that night. But there he was in the hallway at half past nine. He stared at the door a moment. Was she home or out doing something? Which was he hoping for? ...He wanted her home.

Rubbing carefully at his right hand's knuckles, which were unfortunately starting to slightly bleed, he went in. "Honey?" he called, sounding utterly depressed.

* * *

A key in the door wasn't expected until much later, and Cha-Cha blew on her nails quickly as she hurried off the kitchen chair. What was he doing home? Forget something? That was probably it. Though he didn't usually leave with much, and they were having lunch together later on...

"Ed, why are you home?" Cha-Cha asked softly, watching him. She hadn't seen him looking this beat down since...since about three weeks ago...

* * *

And today had started off so wonderful, too.

"Apparently I'm gonna be home more than we thought." A lot more. He made for the kitchen to run his hand under water. _Good job, genius_.

* * *

Three days a week was not alot to work in the first place. Cha-Cha could put two and two together. "But she said you had your job back," she protested. How could they go back on that? How was that even fair? As much as she'd wanted Ed home with her, this wasn't what she had in mind. No, Lieu had said Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Not unemployed, if that was what Ed was getting at.

"And what happened to your hand?" she added, alarmed, her voice raising as she noticed the blood.

* * *

"I sort of punched a wall." He winced as it stung a bit. Oh, answering the Lieu question was probably a good thing to do. But he was content to stare off a minute first. Understandably a little shocked.

"It's not Lieu's fault," said Ed finally. "I mean...loopholes can surprise the best of us, right?"

* * *

Cha-Cha watched him, again not knowing what to say. This time in the worst way possible, rather than the best. What loophole? And what would ever possess him to punch a wall...she took a few steps closer to him. She wasn't awfully good at the comforting thing.

"Do you want to sit down?" she asked quietly. Just so she could hold him, if that would help matter at all. She couldn't get over how unfair this was.

* * *

"I do," he answered. He dried off his hand, still hurting a little. Punching a wall had seemed like a better idea than punching a person. Assault and battery this soon after a murder charge? He'd never find another job.

In a minute he fell onto the couch, opening his arms for her to come and sit on his lap. "In a nutshell," he began, not wanting to go through the hour explanation he'd had earlier, "just being charged is enough for me to be let go. Doesn't really matter if it was dropped. Lieu can challenge it, and she did, and it all looked good, but you know lawyers...they always find something."

* * *

Cha-Cha sat down, her arms wrapping instinctively around him. There was nothing she could say that would make it better. How was any of this fair? It didn't make sense. Last week he got his job back, and his first day, it's snatched away again. "I hate lawyers," she mumbled, the only thing she could think of to say. Well not the only thing, but nothing else seemed good enough. Even saying 'I'm sorry' seemed like an understatement.

* * *

"Me too." There was an extensive investigative process he'd have to go through to even be considered allowed to return. Who knew how long it would take? He was willing to do anything though. Hand over anything they wanted to know. But Lieu had said that she honestly didn't see him coming back. She'd given her young detective a motherly hug, and her eyes were wet, but that was the truth. They'd try, but no promises. Hopes were to be kept at a minimum as well.

"I got to come home early," he said, forcing a smile. Seeing her was always a good thing. And he didn't want to think about work.

* * *

"Mm," Cha-Cha nodded her head, sighing deeply. She unhooked her arms from his to take his hand, making sure he wasn't hurt too badly. Physically, anyway. Sure she was glad to have him home...but not like this. "I love you, Ed," she said quietly, hoping it would make him feel slightly better. She was certain it wouldn't. "I'm sorry."

* * *

"I love you too." He really did. Whether or not he could will it into his voice right now. He shook her off his hand and pulled her back. Sighed. "What else can go wrong this month? We get evicted?" Actually, that wasn't an impossible problem. Crap.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, because it wasn't funny at all. That did pose a question though. "What now?" she asked softly. Not to brush aside the current issue or anything, but...she'd lived alone before, not working. Usually she was able to live off whoever she was dating, and skip rent payments on dry spells. But if they were both not working...how long could they be 'out of town'?

* * *

He sighed. "I don't know. I've never not been doing something police related. Now everything like that is out. And...I've already been off _three weeks_. Someone could have given me a heads up before this. I could have started looking..."

* * *

"Looking for what?" she asked. All his training was in policework, right? Or did he have credentials in other places? She'd offer to look too, but she was in an even worse off place than him. She could dance, dress fabulously, and kiss (so she heard). None of which could be used for a full time job. What a wonderful job it would be, thouh...

* * *

"A job?" Detective suited him best, but he could do something else if he had to. And he had to. "College, remember? I minored in business as a backup but, hell if I remember anything." Or what you actually use that for. He hadn't specialized in anything like accounting. What do businessmen actually do?

* * *

Oh, right, college. That place Cha-Cha never went. She was kind of hoping for astronaut or lion tamer. "Oh. Well...that could be interesting..." business. Suit and tie and briefcase. That was as much as she really knew about it. Well, he had the suit and tie down. "I dated a guy in business once. I think he was...like a financial advisor," she tried to remember. Yeah, that was it. He was always giving her tips on how to save money, like eliminating poptarts and lipgloss and the like from her shopping list. That relationship didn't last long.

* * *

"I doubt I can find anything with a salary near what I'm used to without any experience." He didn't mean to sound greedy, but he'd have a hard time adjusting. Well, with what he had saved, he should be okay. Guilt gifts from parents over the last ten years added up. Look, he'd gone three weeks without worrying at all. But the idea of an unlimited time without a paycheck was unnerving.

* * *

"But that would be better than nothing, right?" Cha-Cha pointed out. And hey, she did get some money from the club. Barely, but it did add up when it went untouched. And she could probably try to keep her hands off it for a few months...or a year...or two years...it would add up, but it would take time...

* * *

"Yeah, it would. But where to start?" He'd never interviewed for anything business related before. He'd gotten his education over a decade ago. How relevant was that knowledge now? He supposed he just had to get out and try. See what he was up against.

"I know this sounds weird, but I always figured my reason for leaving the precinct would be retiring after a particularly nasty encounter. Like getting shot again or attacked or something." He didn't get anything for being fired like he would retiring.

* * *

Cha-Cha watched him, frowning softly. "Can I just say I'm really glad it wasn't that way?" she asked softly, a small frown meeting her lips. How could he honestly hope it was that way? She didn't get the whole 'dying with honour' thing. You were dying anyway, how did it matter how it happened? She still wished he'd told her about that. How could he neglect something so huge?

* * *

Uh oh, the frown. "I'm sorry, it's a guy thing. I wouldn't really _want_ that to happen, it'd hurt. But at least I'd get a better send off than 'don't come back'." He was pining over his job, he wasn't supposed to make sense right now.

This reminded him that she probably hadn't gotten over the latest 'It didn't come up' surprise. "Are you mad about that?" he asked, figuring she'd know what he meant.

* * *

"I just can't figure out why you didn't tell me," Cha-Cha mumbled. Not mad. It was hard to be mad at him right now. Couldn't really yell when he looked so down. But still...her hands went to his chest, slowly undoing his shirt. She just wanted to see...he had a scar on his ribs. She'd noticed it before, but never asked about it...never knew what it was, but figured it wasn't that big a deal. Now that she knew, though...

* * *

Ed stopped her hands momentarily. _Momentarily_, she could proceed in a second. "I had already told you that I couldn't be seen anywhere with you. You couldn't have been very happy with that. I was sure adding in that there was a chance I could die wouldn't help convince you to give me a try." That wasn't sarcastic. "I mean...you do all the sneaking around I ask you to, and then one day I could just disappear?" There was more to it than that, he knew, but now wasn't the time for him to be deep. He let her hands go because he didn't have anything else to add and figured it was the appropriate hand letting go time.

* * *

It hadn't occured to Cha-Cha how serious it was. Yeah, detectives generally got shot at sometimes, but...he never talked about it. She'd assumed it wasn't a major concern. A bruise here, a knick or a scratch there, but a gunshot...it never seemed possible. Until now. Opening his shirt a bit, she touched the mark below his ribs gently with her fingertips. "Is that it?" she asked, her voice hushed. How could she not have known?

* * *

"Yeah." It was an average sized scar, all things considered. After a moment or two he added, "I just didn't want you to worry whenever I left." He knew he had a lot of things he kept secret that, every time she uncovered one, she thought she ought to know. Ed felt bad, but it just seemed like unnecessary drama. Like the gambling issue. It was over and done with. He had needed to focus on the more real problem of keeping his relationship on the down low. Actually those were bad examples, because both eventually blew up in the end. Moving on...

"Honey, can you tell me what kinds of things you would want to know? So this stops happening?" he asked with a small smile.

* * *

She continued to rub the scar, kissing her fingers gently and moving them back down. An extremely gooey romantic gesture, but...hey she was allowed. She never even knew this was in the cards. Guess she should've realized, huh? It wasn't the first time she'd seen the scar, just the first time she made the connecton. She should have known.

"I guess severe injuries and risk of death would be good," she responded with a weak smile. Though, it seemed like the latter wasn't going to be a problem anymore. She tried not to feel any selfish joy over that, but...if there was one benefit to all this...

* * *

"Check. Can you think of anything else you wouldn't want to be surprised with? Although technically it might still be considered a surprise now, and spontaneously coming up with something might be hard, but...I mean just so it doesn't accidentally come up and I get kicked to the couch or something? I'm tired of doing that to you." And having to apologize a million times.

* * *

"Umm...I don't know, baby," she thought about it. What awful things had they covered already. "No murders, no wives, no bastard children off somewhere...right?" she looked at him, grinning softly. "I don't know...addictions? Substance abuse? Uh...crazy exes?" she was just pulling them off the top of her head, laughing softly as she thought.

* * *

Ed chuckled along with her. It was a weird question, he knew. "No wives, no children," he agreed. "Addiction would be gambling, but we all know about that now. Substance abuse? I like wine, but it's not a problem as far as I'm aware." He sighed at the next one. "Crazy is a matter of opinion. I think I'd have to say yes to that one, but honestly don't even think about it." No danger of being stalked or anything like that.

He wondered if he could think of something she'd want to know. Of course when that was up to him it never went well, did it? "Hmm." If something did come up one day, would this help him get out of trouble? 'I asked you once, remember?' No she probably wouldn't accept that excuse. "Parents were covered a while back, right? Mom the more understanding one, dad the...well, you know. Probably has something to do with the people he works with. Money does weird things to your personality."

* * *

"I like wine," she approved. Nothing wrong with that. Course he probably had the fancy stuff, right? Or at least, better than she ever had. Course, the cheap wines were sometimes okay...when you were already too drunk to tell the difference. "No wait I want to know! How crazy, like...creepy? Or just an oddball?" Even if it wasn't a major concern, she still wanted to know.

"Maybe so. I wouldn't know," she stated the obvious. Alot of money to her was like...a thousand dollars. If it weren't for her friends, lovers, and some major white lies to the landlord, she'd be well below the poverty level. Cha-Cha was a tricky one.

* * *

"Everyone has their quirks," said Ed. "Just...some weirder than others. Like, one guy painted his nails. Which would have been fine, but he only painted his left hand. And even that wouldn't have been that strange. But _everything else_ had to be equal. Exactly equal. If he...chewed something, he'd have to chew evenly on each side. If he stepped on a crack with his left foot, he had to step on the next one with his right. Just weird things like that. And I don't even want to try to explain this other one..." The people he met. It baffled him.

He felt a little awkward now. He didn't really like talking about money in front of her. It was kind of hard to explain his situation. Wait, if he didn't want to, was that a hint that this was actually something he should say? Seemed like whenever he shied away from a topic it was one she wanted to know. "He's an oil engineer," he offered, seeing if she was interested at all.

* * *

"OCD?" Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow, looking down at her own nails. Three even coats each. That was pretty normal. Infact, nothing like that for her was really all that off. This had to be the first time she'd ever felt run-of-the-mill. "But nothing to worry about?" she asked. As long as they weren't going to get stalked, she was fine.

"Wow," Cha-Cha blinked. Oil? No wonder he had money then. "Quick, lets make friends with your dad!" she joked, giggling softly. Hey, if she were smart enough, she'd go into oil.

* * *

"Nothing at all." As far as all his exes knew, he was still an armed detective. Bothering him was not a good idea.

Make friends with dad? Normally he wouldn't consider it if he just had to look out for himself, but he had Cha-Cha now. Yes she'd been fine before he arrived, yes his bank account wasn't exactly hurting right now, but still. He would have to be more selective about how he spent his money, and that meant no impromptu surprises for her. As humiliating as running to dad for help would be, that had already crossed his mind too.

Was she worried about their financial state at all? He couldn't picture her thinking about it, but who knew. She probably wouldn't think of it if he didn't just lose his job, right? "Actually, my mother is the one you want to befriend. She feels guilty about how distant we are and is trying to figure out how much it takes to buy me back." All it would really take was a few sentences and all would be forgiven. But he wanted her to figure that out. It might not be right to accept the checks, but it just came in handy. He and Cha-Cha would be in serious trouble without it.

* * *

It didn't usually cross her mind, but with neither of them working...it sounded a little risky. "How much it takes?" Oh, money. Did that mean he had some then? "How much _does_ it take?" she asked with a small laugh. Seriously, did he have some stored away somewhere? Cause they were probably gonna need it.

* * *

"I'm not waiting around for money. All they have to do is call on a day that isn't a holiday and ask how I'm doing." They hadn't done that in the 12 years he'd lived in New York. "Throw in something like 'I guess you're not that bad' from dad and I'll fly down for an early visit. But that definitely won't happen after this." He hadn't even told them about the original problem. And they still didn't know about Cha-Cha. "Money wise though, you and I will be fine for a while. As long as there aren't anymore surprises." He wouldn't start sweating until a few months passed, but by then hopefuly he'd have found something.

"Speaking of parents though, would you mind if I called them real quick?"

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, sliding onto the couch beside him to let him up. She wished she knew more, so she could help him more. But in all honesty, she didn't have that much life experience. No real jobs, no post secondary...no secondary, actually; she'd dropped out before her junior year. She knew next to nothing about making a career and keeping it. "What are you gonna tell them?" she asked. Hopefully everything. How long could you keep a lie like that going?

* * *

"All of it, I guess. It wouldn't make sense if I didn't explain the whole thing." He kissed her cheek and pushed off the couch, heading for the phone. He hardly called them, he was amazed he remembered the number. He stared at it a minute before dialing. Standing in the kitchen, he wondered who would answer, and hoped it wasn't his father.

"Hey mom," he said, relieved it was her. "...Does it have to be a holiday for me to call?" he asked, attempting to get his voice lighter. Then it mellowed out when she asked how he was doing. "Well actually, not so great. ...No, nothing like that, no hospitals involved." The last time he'd surprised them with a phone call he'd just gotten out of surgery.

He wondered how much they knew. Did they read online news? "Have you read anything about me in the papers lately? ...Good, I was hoping you hadn't, they got it wrong. ...No it wasn't a good thing, that's why I wanted to make sure you didn't get the wrong impression. ...No it's not that bad. ...I _am_ going to tell you, that's why I called. ...Because I wanted to know if you'd already heard. ...No I don't want to talk to dad. _No_, mom, I _don't_ want to talk to dad. I don't-Dad, hi."

* * *

Cha-Cha watched him go, sitting on the couch for a few minutes. Then she got lonely and followed him in. She couldn't imagine why he'd mind. It wasn't like he was gonna say anything she hadn't heard before. Or at least, he better have told her absolutely everything. If he was smart, he had. She tried to busy herself, going into the freezer to locate the Haagen Daaz--yes, at ten AM--and tried to listen in without being too obvious. Once his dad was on the line, though, the face she made gave it all away.

* * *

"I'm alright. ...Several things, actually. ...No, not all bad. ...Yes, I did, she's the good news. ...In my opinion she is. ...No, it's not her again, her name is Cha-Cha. Almost a year. Well if you'd call to see what I'm doing now and then I would have told you sooner. ...Because I expected this reaction, that's why. Put mom on. ...Are you kidding? No. ..._No_ you can't talk to her. No. Let me talk to mom." As if he'd even consider letting his father insult Cha-Cha. He said 'talk' but Ed knew what he'd say.

He was put on speaker phone. Ed pretended he was only talking to his mother, and ignored any comments his father threw out. But by the middle of the story he was getting frustrated. "Dad? Seriously. Do you want me to tell you or not? I'm perfectly fine keeping you in the dark, but I thought you'd want to know." His mother insisted he go on. They ended up getting the very short version. "This morning I found out I probably won't be able to return. ...That's right. ...No I'm not calling for money, I told you I thought you'd want to know." He sighed, annoyed. "Can you take me off speaker phone, I want to talk to mom."

* * *

Cha-Cha sat down at the table with her spoon and carton, too lazy to grab a bowl. She watched him with wide eyes, trying to figure out what to do. It felt like she needed to support him, but how could you when he was on the phone? It would be awkward to stand beside him and take his hand, and she couldn't say anything while he was trying to listen. She settled for smiling comfortingly when he happened to look her way, and hoped that would be enough. She was really awful at the whole sympathy thing.

* * *

"Mom? ...Yeah we'll be fine. ...Me and Cha-Cha. ...I know, I meant to a while ago, but I didn't want to have to deal with dad. ...I was thinking about bringing her down, but with all the stuff going on lately it got put on the back burner. ...Preferably when he wasn't home. ...Because of what he did last time. That's why I don't bring anyone anymore. ...Because Starr left in tears. ...No she didn't overreact, _he tried to hit her_. I don't want to talk about this right now, mom." He was not going to get into an argument about Starr with Cha-Cha sitting right there. She'd probably heard enough about the ex by now. He was pleasantly surprised when his mother promptly dropped the subject and inquired about his new boyfriend. Ed resisted the urge to be annoying and picky and add that Cha-Cha preferred 'girlfriend'. You take what you can get sometimes. If his dad were still on the phone he probably would have, just to bother him. "How we met was sorta funny..." Finally, a lighter topic. He told the story about their chance meeting. His mom said it was cute. He told a few other short stories and tried to explain her personality. He thought it would have been awkward describing how amazing she was with her sitting right there listening, but it actually made it more fun. A weak 'He sounds nice' was all Ed got in return.

There was an awkward silence. His mother asked what he planned to do now that his career was ending. "I'll find something. ...No, I don't think I'll need to go back to school or anything." He hoped not. "...I'm too old," he laughed softly. She asked how old his boyfriend was. "Early twenties," he said, knowing Cha-Cha hated revealing the exact number. That wasn't 'too old', send her. "I don't think she'd want to, mom." He sighed again. "Darling," Ed said, making sure the woman on the phone heard the name, "How would you feel about college?" It wasn't really a serious question. He'd never insist that she go. He just wanted an excuse to talk to her. Holding the receiver a little further away he said, "I'm sorry this is taking so long. Normally someone would have hung up on the other ten minutes ago."

* * *

Cha-Cha listened in, trying to keep her expression fairly neutral. It was hard to when Starr started coming up. Though she knew the meeting between her and his father wasn't all that friendly, she hadn't imagined it'd been that bad. He tried to hit her? What sort of...monster was Ed's father? She couldn't think of a better word, which was fine; that one seemed pretty appropriate. How could a woman stay with someone like that? Even if he was some rich...oil tycoon or something. Wouldn't be worth it.

Despite her disgust over his father though, a smile replaced the grimace as he started telling of how they met. And how wonderful she was. Could she really help smiling over that.

She was content just to listen, until Ed took his mouth away from the receiver. College. Well...what did he mean by that? College for who? Not for her, right? Yeah, he _did_ know that...or...had she never told him? It would be extremely hard for her to get into college. She took a spoonful of ice cream to delay her answer.

"For you, lover?" she replied just as loudly, in hopes 'lover' would be picked up. "I think you should do it. If that's where you need to go."

* * *

"Oh no, that was suggested for you." He didn't think it was for her, either. Turning his attention back to the phone he said, "I don't have a job, and you want me to pay for college? ...No, I already told you, _not_ calling for help. You told me to check in more often, now I am." Geez.

"...What?" he asked, looking at Cha-Cha in surprise even though he knew she couldn't have heard the proposed idea. He repeated it back so she'd be in the loop. "Work for dad? ...'Why not'? Why would I want to? I'm not that desperate." His mother hmphed, insulted he'd see it that way. "I'm sorry mom, but honestly that would never work. ...Well sure I'd like to see you again," he said, rolling his eyes. He was in no hurry to see dad which went along with seeing her. "But I'm not just going to _move_ down there." He looked at Cha-Cha for a moment. Right here he had his number one reason to stay put. He looked at the table. He didn't want snapping at the phone to be mistaken for snapping at her. "And what about Cha-Cha? Do you want me to just _leave_ her in New York?" Who was he kidding? Of course that was what they wanted.

* * *

That was what she was afraid of. She was grateful he went back to his phonecall, forgetting about it. If she was correct, and she hadn't told him about dropping out, she didn't want to get into a huge discussion about it. Though she didn't think it was a huge deal, he might. And she had yelled at him various times for leaving out vital information about his past. She supposed this was a pretty important chunk.

Cha-Cha watched Ed's eyes widen, her own narrowing in confusion. "Are you serious?" she almost laughed as he relayed the question to her. That was absurd. Ed didn't even want to talk to the man on the phone; why would his mother think that would go over well? Besides, there was no way Ed was leaving her to go to live with his parents. Absolutely no way. How could he even consider it after everything he'd told her?

* * *

"I don't believe them," Ed said, not bothering to move the phone away. "Did he hear you suggest it? ...Tell him no. ...I will if you won't. ...Dad? Not interested. ...I'm not leaving her here, and I'm not bringing her to _you_." He couldn't decide if he wanted to hang up or yell more. "...Don't be so dramatic. I could have lost this job and gotten another by Thanksgiving and told you I chose to change careers. You'd never have known, but I thought I should call you." Why didn't he do that instead?

"Dad this shouldn't be so surprising. Thanks but no thanks. ...Why is this such a big deal now? I've never been interested. ...I'm not choosing her over you, I'm choosing her over _working_ for you. ...No it is not the same thing." Why was he even having this conversation? "I'm _not _leaving her." He hung up. "That actually went a lot better than I thought," he admitted honestly. He'd kept the shouting to a minimum, though his dad hadn't, and he resisted the urge to use every colorful word he could think of. Yes Cha-Cha had heard it all, but...he didn't like swearing in front of women. Just seemed rude.

* * *

Cha-Cha's forehead creased. How could it have gone worse? "That's...good?" she almost asked. To her, arguments always signified a bad conversation but hey, whatever floated his boat. "So...I take it you're not working for them." Obviously. She still couldn't figure out why the mother would even ask. If they both disliked Ed so much--and Ed disliked them right back--why would she ever think that was a good idea?

* * *

"Not a chance. If it were just my mom, _maybe_. If I were single...no, it'd still have to be just mom." He'd find someone down there eventually for his dad to hate. "Dad will get all worked up and call back looking for a fight in about an hour, and we'll go out for lunch. Sound good?" Yes he would avoid the phone call. Ed stood up and walked around the table to her, holding out his hands for her to take so he could help her up then hug her.

* * *

"Sounds good," Cha-Cha smiled lightly. Standing up, she wrapped her arms around him. Parents really did suck. Some of them. Somtimes. Well...his did, at least his father. And she'd never even met the man. "How'd somebody like that have somebody like you?" she had to ask. She wasn't even trying to be corny or anything, though she could see how it would sound that way. Ed, who loved her, his father would probably want her dead if he could see them then. Well maybe not _dead_, but...if he could hit Starr...

* * *

"Who knows?" he sighed. "He wasn't always that way though. Or, not to that extreme." Ed was gay, but he wasn't at all feminine as a child or anything. He did sports and lived up to what his dad expected out of a son. Well, he'd yell about that. But it wasn't _as_ hurtful? Sort of. Life seemed like it had average enough father-son bickering. Except when his dad found out his son was dating boys. Then it all went downhill.

* * *

"Is it just cause you're gay?" Cha-Cha asked. She didn't want to pressure him for answers, but...she had no sense. Besides, her mother didn't just hate her because of that. They clashed on school, religion, friends...well, okay, the last two had to do with her sexuality, admittedly. But basically, she always had a bad relationship with her mother. She couldn't imagine how much it would hurt if a trusted parent had turned their back on her.

* * *

"Well that, and they didn't want me moving so far away, they didn't want me to be a detective because it scared my mom...and, I don't know, in high school we got rocky and it just got worse over time. I hung out with 'those people'."

The phone rang. "That was fast." Normally it took an hour to work himself up. Ed looked from Cha-Cha to the phone. He said he'd ignore it, but he couldn't help himself. "Hello?"

"Did you just hang up on me?!" his father demanded.

"I don't know, did it sound like this?" and he hung up again.

* * *

Cha-Cha tried not to laugh at first, then realized there was no reason for her to hide it. Still giggling, she took his hand and led him towards the door. The father was probably gonna call again, and she wanted a lunch. Or at least a walk if it was too early still. It would do them some good to get out of the house. "So you're kind of a rebel," she guessed, beaming.

* * *

"I thought you thought I was a boring detective with too many rules?" he said with a grin. Maybe he had a little rebellious side. Just full of fun surprises, wasn't he? He followed her out the door, wrapping an arm around her waist. It was foolish to expect him to leave this for his dad.

* * *

"Nuh uh. I thought you were a boring _old_ detective with too many rules," Cha-Cha was quick to correct him. She shut the door right as the phone started ringing again. Silly parents. "Thought being past tense, anyway. I think I just found another one of your old timer surprises. Can we jump a fence on our way to the resturaunt, Ed, can we please?" she asked with wide eyes. Pause. "Wait, short skirt. Nevermind," she grinned, pulling the skirt down a bit modestly.

* * *

"Well, that makes me feel much better," he joked. Gotta add the old in there. As for the short skirt issue...was that really considered an issue? Seemed more like a bonus... Just kidding? "What do you feel like for lunch? It's kinda early." Maybe a late breakfast? Or...brunch?

* * *

"Mm...I dunno. I just ate my weight in ice cream," she admitted. She had about three bites. Cha-Cha had a way of grandifying things in her head. "Have you eaten yet?" It was still early, and assumimg he went right in to Lieu as soon as he got there...had he even had breakfast?

* * *

He raised an eyebrow. Together those three bites couldn't have weighed one pound. Well, she was light. He'd give it to her.

"I haven't. I was having too much fun with you this morning to grab something before I left, and after Lieu I wasn't in the mood." He tried to figure out what he felt like. Breakfast or lunch? "I don't think anyone's serving lunch yet, so I guess we're stuck with breakfast."

* * *

"Probably. What time is it, like ten?" Cha-Cha had lost track. He'd been on the phone...maybe ten minutes? A half hour on the couch before that? Her numbers could be way off. Either way, it was early. "At least we'll get to sleep in again," she pointed out. Yeah, didn't really make up for losing his job, but...she was looking for the silver lining.

* * *

Probably a little more than ten minutes on the phone if he had to estimate. But ten-ish sounded right. "I think so. Breakfast doesn't vary much, wanna just go in the first thing we see? Help to get home faster." He'd worry about jobs tomorrow. Today was his last carefree day off, in his opinion. He'd like to pick up where they left off this morning. "I've got a few other ways I can show you I love you..."

* * *

Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow, looking at him. Oh, he did know her weaknesses. "Agreed," she nodded quickly. That was probably another one of the silver linings of this. More time for...fun and activities and things. Yeah.

* * *

Sitting across the table from her, Ed couldn't help replaying the lousy phone call in his mind. After the initial shock and disgust of the proposed job wore off, he realized it did mean a few things. No interview. No experience required. No questions asked. He couldn't believe he was actually giving it a second thought. Remember who would be in charge, Ed. Even an apartment miles away from home wouldn't be comfortable. Knowing there was a chance he and Cha-Cha could run into his father in a store or restaurant would make him uneasy.

"Cha-Cha, do me a favor and kick me." It was out of the blue. He forgot she wasn't included in the mental debate going on inside him.

* * *

Cha-Cha looked up from her pancakes, an odd look on her face. After a second she obeyed, kicking him lightly. "What for?" she asked, taking another bite. Ed could be odd sometimes. He thought too much. Which was proabably better sometimes than just saying things. Cha-Cha just said things alot.

* * *

"For giving my mom's idea a second thought." He'd never agree to the no Cha-Cha part. But he couldn't ask her to leave New York and her friends. But at the same time he'd be employed within days. Who knew how long it'd take to find one up here? He could probably negotiate a ridiculously high salary out of his father. By going through his mother. Hey, if they wanted to make hard demands, so could he.

* * *

"You're kidding," Cha-Cha frowned softly. How could he even give it a first thought? It seemed destined to fail. He wasn't close to his parents...and Virgina wasn't close to New York. Meaning they'd both have to move, or...he couldn't actually be thinking about it, could he? She kicked him again for good measure. "Well knock it off. I'm sure there are tons of jobs in New York you can have, and you won't be miserable." Now...the matter of finding one...

* * *

"What if it was just until I found one up here?" He was just as annoyed with himself that the idea wouldn't leave. But there were a few good sides. No, no he'd be miserable. Financially secure but ready to jump off a bridge. Then again how mad could his dad get him if he just stayed a few months? He held his head in his hands, mumbling, "I can't believe I just said that."

* * *

"But how long will that take?" Cha-Cha protested. It didn't register that she just gave another argument in favour of moving. "I mean...let's say three months or something ridiculous like that. Three months with your dad." _And without me._ "Is that worth it?"

* * *

"Think of it as a three month vacation." Maybe that would sway her. If he convinced himself it was a good idea first. He'd always thought nothing would be worth going back. He'd always had a job when he thought that. "We wouldn't be in the same house with him or anything."

* * *

Cha-Cha rose her eyebrows again. "We?" If Ed was going...she kind of figured he'd be going alone. She wasn't exactly welcome there. Okay, it was comforting to know he didn't want to leave her stranded in New York. But still... "What about our apartment?" Where would they stay in Virgina...a hotel? For three months? But she didn't want to pick up and move again. They just got settled in together.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed that you'd go." Didn't he just tell himself he wouldn't make her leave? He wouldn't want to get rid of this apartment if they were coming back. But if he got one in Virginia then there'd be two to pay for and he was job hunting. "There's no way it would work." It was obvious the wheels in his head were still turning though. What if he demanded a ridiculous pay, stayed a few months, then quit? Yes he'd stoop to that level. His dad would do the same to him.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, watching him. She hadn't said she wouldn't go. It would be too hard to live apart for the time he was suggesting. Probably impossible. And considering she wasn't all that willing to end things with him... "There really isn't," she agreed, relieved he was putting it to rest. Okay, let that be the end of it now. It would be too hard to choose between New York and him, even for only a few months.

* * *

Ed munched on his toast. Still thinking. She'd kick him if he continued the debate out loud. "What do you want to do today?" he asked to change the subject. They had over half the day to do whatever they pleased.

* * *

Cha-Cha considered it. "I think...we should do the exact opposite of what detectives do," she thought out loud. Whatever that was. But just a big slap in the face in to the higher ups...if they could see them, that was. But they would always pretend. "Something illegal. No no--_rebellious_," she giggled to herself, finishing her tea.

* * *

"Such as?" he laughed. Oh come on, as if he needed more trouble. He didn't want to put out that adorable sparkle in her eyes though. So...as long as he didn't get arrested again, right? Like...J-Walking? Just kidding. Oh wasn't he a rebel.

* * *

"Um...let's...spray paint something," she laughed, thinking about it. _Cha-Cha and Ed were here_. They sounded like...bank robbers or something. Robbing a bank? Nah, a little too illegal. "Or walk our dog without a leash." If they had a dog and all.

* * *

Ed shook his head and sipped on his drink. "You're weird. But I mean that with all the love in the world. That's about as dangerous as disregarding the rules on the escalators." Which he had to admit to breaking just to say he had. "What about an impulsive buy that we'll enjoy today but regret tomorrow? Or actually getting a dog. Or a cat."

* * *

"I'm weird? I'm weird," Cha-Cha giggled, clearly having too much fun with this. "Okay, Mr. 'My Last Name is Also a Colour'. I'm the weird one. _Okay_," she rose an eyebrow. "Okay baby, I'm gonna give you an out here. Think about this honestly. Me with a dog. A very hyper, very cute dog," did he see where she was going with this? "Baby, think puppy dog eyes times two. That's what you're getting yourself into."

* * *

"I didn't chose my last name, that doesn't count! And the eyes is why I changed it to cat. Or a bird. Or...what can't guilt trip me...a lizard. But I don't want to share your attention too much. So fish. Or a stuffed animal would work too." He chewed a moment. "Are we still breaking a rule or law?"

* * *

"So what if you didn't choose it? It's still amazing. And weird. Amazingly weird," Cha-Cha giggled. It was more interesting than Cueva though, and that was what counted. "No lizards," she said quickly. "I could do a cat though. They're easy, they can fend for themselves, plus the cute thing is still there. Not as cute, but I wouldn't try to unleash a dog on you," she laughed as she imagined it. They'd never get a good night's sleep again. The dog would end up between them in the bed every night, and she'd be just fine with it. Poor Ed. "Right right, illeagl. Um...well then, we could always...I don't know, hon. Maybe not illegal, but...something you wouldn't have done a week ago. Like kissing right in front of the presinct or something. Ooh I like that one!" she nodded, proud of herself.

* * *

No. Ed would never surrender his bed to a dog. Absolutely not.

He chuckled at her latest idea. "We already did inside, you can't really top that. But it would be fun."

* * *

"True, true," Cha-Cha sighed, thinking. He was right, you couldn't really top that then. "What then? What's something you would never have done while you were a detective?" She'd never lost a job like that--she'd been fired before sure, but from a McDonalds. This was a little different than that. "If you could do anything now, what would it be?"

* * *

"You should know by now that all I wanted was to walk down a street with you," he laughed. It had been such simple yet dangerous thing to do. "But now that I can...I need to think of a new goal. I don't know, hon."

* * *

"Maybe we can run down the street next time. Live dangerously," Cha-Cha shook her head with a grin, thinking. Seriously, what was the next step up to that? They could pretty freely show affection now, too, and had been. "This is really pathetic. I feel like I should know more crimes than this," she sighed. What a total lack of ambition on her part. "Help me Ed. I feel like a good girl!" she laughed.

* * *

Ed knew everything you could and could not do in New York. But it all flew out the window and he couldn't think of a thing.

"Aw babe, don't worry. I like good girls. Unless it's after ten pm," he smiled.

* * *

Cha-Cha smirked to herself. "I hadn't noticed," she commented, trying to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. Completely forgetting she'd gone wigless that day. "Speaking of which, didn't we have something to continue? You were gonna show me you loved me or something like that?" she added. Once Cha-Cha's mind got on that one track, it was difficult to stray.

* * *

"Hmm?" he asked, pretending to forget. "OH. Right. Slipped my mind. Let's see...would a paper valentine do the trick? I can't remember what I had planned. I'll use glitter." With that topic coming up though he was finished with his breakfast. They should head home. "Hey you done yet?" In a hurry? Him? Why would you think that...?

* * *

If Ed forgot, she may just have to beat him. At the same time though, the thought of him using glitter was unbearably cute. Who knew detectives...ex-detectives gave out valentines? How far away was February again? "Been done, for like fifteen minutes," she complained, pushing the plate a few inches away.

* * *

"Why didn't you say something then?" he laughed, waving a waiter over. "We could have left." Ed wasn't full, but he'd head home now no problem. He'd be in favor of running to get there faster.

* * *

"Yeah, but..." Cha-Cha couldn't think of an argument, and trailed off. That was new. Usually she could complain about anything. "But you were taking too long," she decided finally. Hah! He couldn't deny that one. Ed was a slow eater. Then again, Cha-Cha inhaled, so everybody else seemed slow, but still!

* * *

"You're right. My fault for actually enjoying talking to you." She'd listen and eat, then complain he was slow. With everything paid for, they were free to go. The walk home would be nice and short.

* * *

Cha-Cha's hand rested in his as they walked. While normally she'd be slower; distracted by shop windows and funny looking people and the like; today she was sort of focused on other things. Things that they needed to be at home for. Probably. Course jumping him really would be illegal. Not that she'd put it past herself... "Was that honestly the closest...breakfast place there was?" she moaned. It was only a couple blocks. Felt like a couple miles.

* * *

"The closest one to where we were when we decided to find the closest one..." They'd walked and talked a bit first. "Do you wanna run or jog or something?" he joked. "I'd love to see you run in those heels." But then she'd probably fall and cry and he'd be stuck carrying her home.

* * *

Cha-Cha looked down at her feet, considering. "But...I just ate a plate of pancakes..." she whined. How could one run on a plate of...doughy, syrupy...plus these were like two inches of heel. Cha-Cha didn't make much of a living, but she needed her feet to do it. But mostly it was the pancakes.

* * *

A plate? Sure. That had definitely not been a whole plate. "I couldn't run either." Which probably wasn't true. He and Lennie run after people at the strangest times. ...Ran. No more impromptu showdowns with the bad guys! In a moment of vanity he worried what would happen to him without the exercise that went with chasing murderers down dark alleys.

* * *

No worries, Cha-Cha would keep him plenty exercised. "You can so run! You run like everyday. I wasn't a gym star in highschool, baby." Shocker, right?

* * *

"And yet look at you," he complained out of jealousy. She sat around all day and still kept a perfect body. Well okay she did stuff, but no intentional exercise. "It's not fair." Hey, a gym! That's what normal people use for exercise. Genius!

* * *

She did so do stuff! Dancing wasn't exactly easy, and she built up a sweat doing it. Plus, she...walked places...sometimes. More than she did before, anyway. It used to only be a few blocks from her place to Rusty's. Now, it was considerably more to even see Ivana and Grace. "Yeah, you're not exactly fat or anything. Plus you're older. Harder for you to keep it off, but you do," she pointed out.

* * *

"I'll have to find a new way though," he said, a little put out. "Lennie's gonna have to find a new running partner." That also hadn't really sunk in. There were two sides to this. Not only did Ed not have Lennie to hang around with, oh and work too, Lennie didn't have a partner. But that would change soon. Lennie wasn't supposed to have anyone else! Lennie was Ed's!

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, placing a hand on his arm. "Did you get to see Lennie before you left?" She'd wanted to ask earlier, but hadn't wanted to make him feel worse. One of his hand was already banged up; this wasn't too easy on him. "You'll still see him," she added. Even if they didn't work together, she doubted they'd stop being friends. It wouldn't be the same, but...

* * *

"I didn't. Lieu grabbed me right when I got there. And I kinda left in a hurry. I'll call him later." Not when he got home. Because he had plans with a certain drag queen. And no amount of depression from being fired could shadow his love for loving Cha-Cha. Both physically and emotionally. If she was there, was it really that bad? He was sure he'd forget there was a problem in thirty seconds anyway. She had that uplifting effect on him. He would only stay blue if he himself didn't drop the topic.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, moving her arm so it wrapped around his waist. She didn't like seeing him unhappy. She didn't usually care that much about the men she dated. "You call him later," she nodded. Maybe he could come over some time. She wouldn't mind getting to know Lennie better...or...go see Rusty for an evening, if that would be better.

* * *

Ah, finally home. A grin instantly grew as they neared their building. Was it sad that he was already excited just knowing what was waiting for him? "Do we want the elevator or stairs?" he asked jokingly. Hey, it'd be a small workout getting up to the fourth floor. He jabbed the button. He could already see the 'But I'm in heels!' defense coming.

* * *

"What do you think?" Cha-Cha nodded as he puched the button. She was in heels! It would be mean. "Besides, you can't kiss when you're walking up stairs," she added. As the doors opened she pulled him in and against her, quickly demonstrating her point

* * *

"Is that all you think about?" he said, teasing her. That was an excellent argument though. She won. Hands down.

The elevator doors opened a floor too soon. Ed pulled away from Cha-Cha and looked around her enough to see a couple awkwardly looking at them. "Going up?" he asked, sounding as casual as if here just standing there alone. The man smiled weakly and stood still. Doors closed. "Apparently not." He resumed what he'd been doing.

* * *

Cha-Cha tried to kiss him back, but it made it difficult when she was laughing. What could she say? Getting caught made it ten times more fun. "I love traumatizing people," she got out between giggles and kisses. As much as she tried to concentrate on the task at hand, she still grinned for some time after.

* * *

"You're horrible. And I love you for it." Alright, so maybe he enjoyed it too. Now on the appropriate floor he could head for their apartment. He held the door open for her before following her inside.

* * *

"And so you should," Cha-Cha giggled, leading him towards the bedroom. It had been a rough time for him, but if she could make it better in any way, she was going to. His mood seemed to affect her mood, and this whole thing was getting her down, too. But she could think of any better way to pick them both up.

* * *

A while later, with Cha-Cha laying happily in his arms, the idea came back. He would have kicked himself but it might alert his lover. What a moment for it to push its way foreword for attention. Now was not the time. Ed settled for rolling over a little to lay on his back. He couldn't help thinking about it.

Nothing good would come out of it besides him having a job. And there were so many things he was unsure of. Would he be in close contact with his dad, or in a different department? It _was_ a good sized company. How far was it from his parents house? If he got an apartment in the opposite direction, what were the odds they'd run into them? How horribly would Cha-Cha beat him? He hadn't had the heart to tell her Florida was postponed. Hopefully she would assume that. Couldn't she try to think of Virginia as a last minute replacement?

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, shifting a bit as he did, her arm resting across his waist. It couldn't have even been past one, but she was still content to stay in bed for awhile. Ed had a habit of tiring her out. "You didn't have like...plans for today...did you?" she mumbled, pulling the blanket up over herself further. It would take alot to get her out of this bed.

* * *

"Kind of. I had planned on working. I'm not supposed to be home for another seven hours. Other than that, nothing. Are you doing anything?" She should have had all day to herself. Did she plan to go out and do something?

* * *

"Right, right," Cha-Cha sighed, her legs curling up against herself. Okay, so her memory was cloudy now too. It really was his fault. "Not me. And anyway, not anymore," she smiled softly, her hand resting on his chest. She hadn't been looking forward to being home alone, and hadn't planned anything for herself. Even if she had, no way was she getting up now to do them.

* * *

"Good," he smiled. Ed marched fingers up and down her side, lost in thought again. He hoped she'd be content just to lay there silently while he worked out another way to bring Virginia up. Could she really stay quiet for long though? Probably not. Hmm. Maybe he'd wait for tomorrow? Maybe she'd think about it today and it'd be better? ...yeah right.

* * *

Cha-Cha shifted a bit. "Mm. I couldn't move now if I tried," she mumbled. If only she could hear Ed's thoughts, and she could get the full irony of the comment. Course, if she could read Ed's thoughts, she'd be too busy wondering how he could ever consider it.

* * *

Ed didn't believe he was thinking it over either. He hated the idea. And was it really necessary? He had enough saved to last while he looked up here. Depending on how long that took of course. And he'd be in close proximity to his father, it was far away, who knew if he'd actually like the job, not to mention what might be said to Cha-Cha. _If_ his parents were allowed to meet her. But it meant security. And that his savings didn't have to get touched. Then again, what other emergency could happen? He wouldn't get shot so no hospital bills, and losing his job was the only other one he could think of. Car accident? He wasn't zooming around anymore.

In his opinion, the logical answer was just to say no. Dad didn't like him and would't like Cha-Cha, all three of them did not belong in the same state. He made it this far without going home, why do it now? ...His mind starting going over all the reasons he should again. Gah!

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled softly, shifting to be closer to him. "So do you feel better?" she asked softly. She'd feel a little silly if that didn't cheer him up. Just a little mortifying, it'd all be good. He seemed to be in better spirits, though. Quiet, but hey, that wasn't so bad. She didn't mind tiring him out either. Her fingers traced smooth circles on the skin over his heart, her eyes closing again.

* * *

"I feel wonderful," he said, giving her a quick kiss. His thoughts drifted back to her again. What they were supposed to be focusing on. "Whatcha thinkin'?" he asked, closing his eyes too. Another lazy day.

* * *

Cha-Cha beamed, lifting her head to kiss him again before closing her eyes again. "Not too much," she admitted with a soft giggle. She was too content to focus on anything too long. Or was he expecting the ridiculously corny answer? "And that I love you of course," she added quickly to cover her behind. "You?"

* * *

"The same," he answered. He decided that tomorrow wouldn't be better. But right here and now wasn't the appropriate time either. He would wait until they were dressed to broach the subject again.

He heard his cell phone buzzing somewhere, the vibrating phone was lost underneath something in the room. Ed groaned a bit. "Do I want to answer?" he asked. "It's either Lennie or Dad."

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, getting off him slightly to let him up. "It might be Lennie," she nodded. His dad, she didn't care so much about, but Lennie was okay. And he and Ed needed to talk anway. Yawning, she shifted away from him, but didn't get up yet. Just a couple more minutes.

* * *

Ed started to sit up, realized he was more comfortable than he thought, and fell back down. "I'll call him back. I'd rather lay here." He put an arm around her waist and tried to drag her back over. Couldn't get rid of him that easily.

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned, happily scooting over to be closer. "Now what if it's somebody important?" she asked, leaning in to kiss his neck, his jaw, up to his mouth before settling back down at his side. "Like...what if the person on the other line was gonna give you a million dollars or something?"

* * *

Ed laughed. "Do you _want_ me to get up and answer?" He pretended to start getting up again. And was ready to actually answer the phone if she didn't stop him. "If you're trying to get rid of me I'll talk to the person."

* * *

Cha-Cha let him get halfway out of bed before she went for him again. "Now I wouldn't make any hasty decisions," she reminded him, nearly lunging to get him in time. That required more energy than she thought she had. Okay, time for him to get into bed so they could cuddle more. No more athletics for her.

* * *

"Whoa," he laughed, looking down at the drag queen wrapped around him. He'd gotten his legs over the side of the bed, now he had to get back in carefully so he didn't kick her. Well, he was close enough to snatch the phone off the floor now. Pushing aside a shirt he picked it up to check Caller ID before getting back to his girl. It hadn't been either one he expected. The lawyer he'd gotten for Starr had apparently called. He should probably call him back soon. ...An hour was soon, right? He set it on the table and returned to his spot beside Cha-Cha.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled, pulling him closer to her. "Who was it?" she asked, leaning in to kiss him. Apparently it wasn't too urgent, whoever it was. Bad for him, good for her. Then again, she liked to think she edged out most callers in terms of importance.

* * *

"No one who can't wait," he answered. Honestly he didn't want to deal with anything more today. At least not right now. He had a horrible morning and was in the middle of a great afternoon. No lawyers allowed. Instead he'd rather deepen the current kiss.

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned, returning the kiss deeply. She knew it. "Was hoping you'd say that," she admitted, her hand running up his chest. She wrapped it around the base of his neck, rubbing her fingers through the edge of his hair and pulling him to her again.

* * *

It was buzzing again. Ed rolled his eyes and did his best to ignore it. Cha-Cha was more important than a boring lawyer. Plus he didn't want to remind himself that there was also the fact he was paying for Starr's defense to worry him. There was forbidden topic number two. Money. Okay, no money, no lawyers.

* * *

Cha-Cha moaned softly against his lips, breaking away reluctantly. Whoever it was, they were persistant. Too persistant. Couldn't they see Ed was busy? "Do you have to?" she sighed, her hand travelling to his back to hold him closer. She'd let go if she absolutely had to, but she just didn't want to.

* * *

Ed scooted over enough to reach the phone. "Hi, leave a message," and he hung up. Buzz buzz. "Just ignore it." After a second he picked it up, to see if it was really the same person three times. "Now it's dad," he groaned. Apparently the phone wanted to be used. "I'll turn it off."

* * *

"Can I answer?" Cha-Cha asked with a giggle. She didn't expect him to surrender the phone, but how funny that would be? Sorry, you'll have to call back, I'm in bed with your son! It would almost be worth it if Ed didn't have to deal with the man sometimes.

* * *

Ed really wanted to hand it over to see what she'd say. But once his father realized who answered, who knew what he would say. "I don't think so," he laughed. "But hold on, I'll see what he wants." Without bothering to give a hello he asked, "_What_?"

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, watching him talk. Which got excruciatingly boring, to be honest. Before long she was pressing kisses to his neck, trying to see how long it would take before he hung up. Five, four, three...

* * *

Ed had been trying to carry on a civil conversation with his still pissed off father. It wasn't working out well. Especially with Cha-Cha doing what she was. He was trying not to make any revealing sounds or start laughing. It'd be very hard to explain laughing when his dad was talking about what a disappointment his son ended up being. So in an attempt to keep it down Ed kept talking, and the more he tried to hide it the faster he went until he ended the call with "I'm-sorry-you-feel-that-way-but-I'm-not-going-down-there-no-matter-what-you-say-_I-GOTTA-GO-BYE!!_" He hung up. "_You_...!" He couldn't think of a word, and settled for laughing and playfully shoving her off him.

* * *

Cha-Cha couldn't decide between laughing and climbing back onto him, but settled for laughing. "What's the matter, baby?" she asked as innoently as she could. She wasn't fooling anybody. Once she'd calmed down slightly she was back in her place, her lips against his neck. She might have bitten him once or twice. Accidents happened...

* * *

"That innocent look never works, babe," he said, moving to lay back down. He watched the phone as he lowered his head. "The second my head hits the pillow, it's going to go off..." And...nothing. "That's more like it. If it had gone off ag-oh _come on_!" Buzz buzz. "No one calls when I'm watching tv or something, it has to be now." Ed reached over and turned it off without checking who it was. Finally he had her back in his arms without the chance of another phone call. "I don't want any more interruptions," he said. "I just got started loving you."

* * *

Her shoulders shook with laughter, but she couldn't complain as easily as he could. She was getting his attention, what could she possible complain about? "You just started?" she asked with a lifted brow, her hands holding his face gently. No more interruptions indeed. Unless his cellphone wanted to join the alarm clock in a race to the traffic below. "You mean you didn't love me before?" she teased.Posted by Ed Green on Jun 27, 2008, 12:16pm"I meant the _other_ kind of loving, honey," he smiled. Of course he cared about her. "We're gonna be here a while if I have any say in things, and Lennie and my father are not invited." On the phone or otherwise. ...He really hoped phone was the only issue today, _Lennie_. He'd locked the door when he came in, right?

* * *

"Well, I'd hope not," Cha-Cha grinned, pulling him closer so she could kiss him. Even if somebody came banging down their door that second, it would be hard for Cha-Cha to let Ed go. They'd simply have to wait patiently. That wasn't so hard, now was it? She was there first, she got first dibs. Somehow she couldn't envision him complaining too much.


	20. What More Could Go Wrong?

Cha-Cha played by Operatic. Ed played by BOWIEgirl

* * *

What More Could Go Wrong?

It had been nearly a week since Ed had lost his job. Personally, Cha-Cha felt just fine; she didn't mind the long hours together. Of course, she knew he needed to work, but...on a totally selfish scale, she couldn't be happier. Of course she couldn't see how he felt about it all, but it wasn't hard to guess. After nine years in a constant job, she couldn't imagine just...losing it, just like that.

At the moment, however, she was lounged on the couch with him, thoughts of responsibility of any kind out of her mind. She had danced the night before, though. She was trying to more often. As little as it helped.

"What's going on tonight?" she asked, pulling his arm up to glance at his watch. Half past two.

* * *

"I don't know. Nothing out of the ordinary." As he stroked her arm lazily with one hand, the other turned the page in the newspaper. He tried not to job hunt in front of her because he hated to be reminded that both of them were slightly dependent on him. They still had a while before he had to worry, and he kept telling himself that over and over, but... He felt antsy without a job. So there he was, holding her and holding out for some opening at the same time. It wasn't that he didn't like spending all day with Cha-Cha, he loved it. He'd just like feeling needed again. By an employer. It was different than a lover. And he wanted to get out of this apartment.

* * *

Cha-Cha shifted around against him a bit. As easy as it would be to stay there all day, she wanted to at least stay somewhat sensible. So he knew she was still alive and all. From her new position, she could see the paper a bit easier. "Ooh, Roto-Rooter! You always wanted to be a plumber, right?" she teased, pointing to one of the ads.

* * *

"Eck," he grumbled, wrinkling his nose. "Not a chance." He scanned across the page, remaining unimpressed. Ed told himself he shouldn't be picky. Shouldn't think that any job was beneath him. But some he just couldn't help thinking his education would be wasted. Like anything involving fast food. That was out. Way out. Plumber? He didn't know a thing about it.

"Administrative assistant. Is that just a nicer title than secretary, or is that actually a good position?"

* * *

"Wouldn't know, hon," Cha-Cha shrugged, shifting again. She was fidgety again, despite being contented. A half full mug of coffee sat on the table, but it was enough to get her going. Stretching her legs out, she kept close to him, her eyes closing. "Either way it's a more..'job'-like job than I've ever had."

* * *

"Yeah, but on second thought that's a woman's job. And if you're thinking 'This is the new millennium' and that stereotypes like that should be gone...too bad. Moving on..." Electrician? Again no idea. Why weren't there real jobs in here?

Accounting. Well, he could add and subtract. He'd taken business classes and gotten a small taste of it. That probably wouldn't be enough though.

* * *

"Ed Green! Such a conservative," Cha-Cha giggled, leaning up to kiss his neck quickly. Lots of men could be secretaries. What was it anyway...answering phones? Hell, she could probably do it. Not that she would, but hey... "Skirts are a women's thing too, you know, and you've never complained," she teased, moving his hand to rest on her leg.

* * *

"Well you're a woman, what's to complain about? If it was Lennie it'd be a crime, but you're supposed to." He gave her a gentle squeeze. Easy as that in his opinion.

* * *

Cha-Cha beamed, leaning up to kiss him gently. She was glad he thought that way. Many men didn't. And what's more, he came to it one his own. How many boyfriends had she politely had to set straight? Not that she could really deny what she really was, but...he knew what she preferred, and was sensitive to that. Resting her head back down, she looked at the paper again. "Ooh, a bee-farmer!"

* * *

"If you're not going to give me a real suggestion, you can stop helping me," he laughed. "I will not be a farmer of any kind. Besides, that can't be anywhere near the city, can it?" Unless they had a bee farm on their roof. Which actually wouldn't surprise him when he thought about it. He'd seen stranger rooftops.

He set the paper aside. "Maybe I'll try looking online again. This isn't getting anywhere."

* * *

"Bee-farming is a real suggestion! Don't you want one of those netted hats?" Cha-Cha pouted, shifting against him a bit. At last, she was comfortable. Perfect. She wouldn't be getting up for a long time now.

So, naturally, the phone started ringing loudly from the kitchen, prompting an annoyed moan from the drag queen. "Shut up and go away," she grumbled.

* * *

Ed looked toward the kitchen. "You know. We don't answer half the time it rings. Maybe we should. What if we're missing something important?" If they called his cell there was a slightly better chance they'd reach him. It was normally within reach.

Now the cell was going off. And he wished it was out of reach so he didn't feel like he should answer. Going against what he'd just said. "Can you grab that without moving much?" If it inconvenienced her, it wasn't worth it.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, extending an arm towards the coffee table. So close, yet so far. "This better be worth it," she mumbled, shifting closer to grab it. And she lost her spot! If it was some telemarketer, she was gonna...scream. Maybe. Holding it to him, she offered, "Can I answer it?"

* * *

"Sure, go ahead." He didn't bother to check Caller ID before giving her the okay. It probably was Lennie. They hadn't spoken for awhile, maybe he'd like the chance to say hi to her. He'd been over a few times since Ed had been let go but coincidentally Cha-Cha had been busy or out. Yes, it really was a coincidence.

* * *

Cha-Cha flipped the phone open, searching a bit before pressing the 'Talk' button. She didn't often use cellphones. She was a wall and cord type of girl. "Hello, you've reached the Green residence."

"Who is this?" came the voice on the other end. Deep, male, annoyed. Or upset. Maybe both.

"I could ask you the same question," Cha-Cha responded, checking under her fingernails quickly. Stupid telemarketers. Though they were good for a laugh sometimes... "Whatever you're selling, I don't want it."

It took a second for the man on the other line to answer, and when he did, he sounded even more distressed than before. "You _put my son_ on the line," he demanded finally.

That was no telemarketer. Finally Cha-Cha figured out who it was, and she nearly dropped it in her haste to give it to him. "Guess who it is," she whispered, her eyes wide, doing all she could not to swear under her breath.

* * *

Apparently not Lennie. "Hello?" ...Oh, that's who it was. "Who do you think it was? That was Cha-Cha. ...Dad, I'm kinda busy right now, can I call you back?" He held the phone further away from his ear at the heated response. "Calm down. If you're looking for a fight, I'm not interested. Cha-Cha and I were just leaving."

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned softly, though tried not to listen to the angry man on the other line. If he was saying things, about either one of them, she didn't want to hear it. Because then she'd want to take the phone and talk to Mr. Green Sr., and she may say some things she'd regret. Well, not regret, but...some things. "What does he want?" she asked quietly, still trying not to listen, or be heard.

* * *

"I don't know," he replied to her, covering the phone. "He's pissed off and he hasn't even talked to me yet." Cha-Cha answering couldn't have done it that fast either. "Dad? DAD! What are you talking about?" Ed demanded. His father was going so fast he couldn't follow. "If you don't slow down I'm hanging up."

His father sighed angrily. "Your mother had an accident last night."

Pause. "What kind of accident?" Annoyance was put on hold.

"She fell."

"On...what?"

"Down the stairs."

Say what? "...alright, you had me until that. If you're gonna fake something like that Dad, make it more believable than she fell down the stairs."

* * *

Cha-Cha frowned softly, sitting up a bit. "Who fell down the stairs?" she asked, not caring if she was being nosy or not. And why wouldn't Ed believe that? She didn't know his father, but that was a sort of crappy thing to lie about. Then again his father seemed sort of crappy...

"Why would I ever lie about that?" his father demanded. Why else would he call?

* * *

It had been an automatic reaction without much thought. "It just seems strange that a week after you wanted me to come home, mom falls down the stairs. Excuse me for thinking this was anything like the time Melissa had pneumonia when I was wanted for Christmas. ...Sure Dad, a miraculous recovery, right." He hadn't believed it. "Can I talk to mom? I'm not going to upset her."

"Mom? Hi. How you doin'? Same as always. I hear you fell?" His disbelief started to fade. "Really?"

* * *

Cha-Cha tried harder this time to listen in, more confident that nothing offensive would be said. Nothing too bad, anyway. She could handle it.

"It was my own fault," the woman on the other end admitted. "But I'll be off my feet for a little bit," Cha-Cha detected a trace of annoyance at that fact.

* * *

Ed noticed Cha-Cha leaning in again. To save her the trouble of attempting to listen and look innocent, he put his cell on speaker phone. "I'm sorry to hear that mom." He feared where this conversation was going.

"Your father thinks a little help around the house...until my leg's out of its cast..." She searched for a way to ask. But that had been enough to get the idea out there.

"Melissa is in Richmond, mom. She's closer than I am." They liked his sister more than him anyway, right? Plus girls were better with the whole nursing back to health deal.

* * *

"I know...and she'll be down too," his mother replied slowly. "But...you know, she has things she needs to attend to. And, well...you really don't right now..."

"Cept you have to attend to me," Cha-Cha said quietly, hoping the only woman wouldn't hear. It was true though. She wasn't going to get left all alone in New York City, and it wouldn't be a good idea to tag along with Ed, either. Not with his father being the way he was.

* * *

"What?" his mother asked, having heard a voice but was unable to make out what it'd said.

"Mom you have Dad, and Melissa, and your sister lives across the city-"

"Eddie I told you not to refer to her as 'your sister', she's your aunt too."

He didn't comment. "Anyway. I have Cha-Cha here. I can't just leave her, and I can't come down there with her. I mean, if I were staying nearby maybe-" _Don't hit me Cha-Cha this is hypothetical_ "-but it sounds like you'd want me at home. I can't do that."

* * *

His mother sighed. "Ed...you know I don't mind when you bring your friends home..." too much, anyway. "This time wouldn't be any different." A distant protest came frim his father.

Cha-Cha shook her head, but stayed silent. They'd already discussed this. Ed knew it wasn't happening, and they'd put it to rest.

* * *

"It _would_ be different. I can't take care of you, job hunt, _and_ keep Dad away from Cha-Cha all at the same time."

"He wouldn't have to come every time if he felt uncomfortable. And...you wouldn't have to stay in the house. Although that would be easier..." Twenty four hour wait staff.

"I don't mean to be insensitive Mom, but if you only broke a leg, wouldn't Dad and crutches be enough to get you around?"

His father grabbed the phone before he'd even finished. Apparently he was listening in too. After yelling about what Ed had just said, which caused the young man to take it off speaker phone, he went on to hurl every insult and guilt trip he could come up with. Finally he ended his rant with, "You'd choose that damn boyfriend of yours over you're injured mother? She falls down the stairs and you'd rather be up there screwi-"

"Fell, or was pushed?" Ed said accusingly. He didn't really mean it, and maybe it was uncalled for, but if his dad was going to finish that sentence the way he thought he was, he fine with pissing him off.

* * *

Cha-Cha didn't really want to hear what Ed's father was saying, but it was hard not to hear somethings. Even after speakerphone was removed, the older Green was yelling loud enough for it to be heard halfway across the room. She tried to busy herself, leaning forward to take a sip of the coffee. It was disgustingly cold, but preferable to the man on the other end. She needed a distraction.

At Ed's suggestion, however, the other line got quiet. Too quiet. Scary quiet. Cha-Cha leaned back, almost thinking it was safe. She should've known better.

* * *

Ed had to hold the phone even further from his ear. His father obviously did not appreciate being accused of pushing his wife down the stairs to get Ed to come home. He told his son he wanted him back as much as he wanted to return. That he and Cha-Cha, not referred to as kindly, could stay in New York for all he cared. Ed could hear his mother in the background trying to calm him down, simultaneously telling the younger man that he was welcome to come home anytime, his father didn't mean it.

Ed hung up. "I shouldn't have said that," he decided regretfully.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded silently, crossing one leg over the other. While she hadn't been able to make out alot of what he'd been saying, it wasn't hard to imagine. It obviously wasn't kind. "Probably not," she replied softly. But at the same time, could it be true? Somebody that hateful...she couldn't really put it past him. Not fair, but since when was Cha-Cha fair? Adjusting a bracelet on her wrist, she waited a second before scooting a bit closer to him. "You alright?" she stood by her earlier question; how on earth did Ed come from that family?

* * *

"I need to go for at least the weekend." That wasn't exactly an answer to her question, but that's what he had to say. He really did not want to, the last thing he wanted was to see his father after that phone call, but...his mother didn't deserve to be ignored. "I didn't go down for Christmas this year, I'm overdue." Although he and Cha-Cha hadn't been very serious December, he'd chosen to stay up here for the holiday season instead of going south. It probably hadn't occurred to her that she got his week off and not his family. Which was fine. "If it's another false alarm I'll be back before you know it."

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed deeply, but nodded. Yeah, he pretty much had to. His mother seemed...nice enough, anyway? Better than the father, at least. That was something. Of course, anybody would be better than the father. "Are you going alone?" she asked. He would know best. Though she didn't want to, she could probably survive a weekend on her own. But she didn't want him to have to face that abuse alone, either. Well, no abuse would be ideal. But if it had to happen, wouldn't it be better if she were there to fix it? But by the same token, her presence might set his father off more. "What do you think?"

* * *

"I don't mind if you come, but don't feel obligated. You come only if you want to." He snuggled up against her. It was nice to have her to cuddle with after a fight. "You wouldn't have to meet them. They live forty five minutes from Virginia Beach, you can stay there. Well, we, but I'd drive to see mom."

* * *

Seeing that he was okay, Cha-Cha wrapped her arms around him, returning to her former spot cuddled up against him. "Do you want me to come?"she asked him, hoping for an honest answer. She'd go with him if he wanted to. It wouldn't be so bad, right? If it was only for a weekend. And she wouldn't even have to meet them...

Cha-Cha swore the word 'beach' didn't affect her decision at all. Really. Promise.

* * *

"I don't know. There are ups and downs both ways." He supposed if she stayed out of his fathers line of vision, and therefore away from any insults, it wouldn't be so bad. "I'd like you to come..." So he''d have someone positive to talk to at the end of the day. "Pretend we're on vacation." He hadn't missed her eyes lighting up at the idea of the ocean and sand. She was too easy.

* * *

Of course she's probably end up calling him three times a day if she didn't go. But she knew what he meant. It wasn't the same as actually being together. "Right...vacation," she nodded slowly. Well...she could do that. Especially considering she had a sneaky suspicion Florida wasn't happening. Or at least, no time soon. She hadn't brought it up too much, but he never seemed too enthused to talk about it anyway. Besides, things being how they were, how could they? "I guess so."

* * *

Oops. Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned the word vacation. "Sweetheart," he said, pulling out pet names like he always did when he was in trouble, "Florida will happen eventually, I promise. This will be...a trial run. You need to get used to how strong the suns rays are down there. How could I live with myself if I ruined your perfect complection by taking you down there unprepared?"

* * *

It was hard sometimes to tell if Ed was serious; particularily when he was trying to get himself out of trouble with her. Either way she was laughing, shaking her head. "But darling, that's what they make sun block for," she teased back. Okay, fine, Ed Green. You weren't in trouble this time, but only because the beach was still in the deal. "I guess some other boy will have to help me put it on myself, then, huh? Shame..." she sighed wistfully, trying not to laugh again.

* * *

"Sunblock doesn't always do the trick down there. And no one else is touching you, please. I don't have to take off that fast." He could hang around to rub lotion all over her. Yeah. He wouldn't mind. "If you get bored, or even think there's a possibility you'll be bored soon, I'll come back from the house." Keeping her happy was his number one concern. His second was trying to convince his parents that it wasn't, and that his mothers health came first.

* * *

"Really?" Cha-Cha giggled. She didn't realize she was that high of priority. Not bad. "Well...how about I get super bored when your father starts yelling? Really loud," she added as an afterthought. His father would probably yell as soon as he got in the door. "And once you've done all the madatory mother-son bonding."

* * *

He laughed. "Sounds good." Ed thought a moment, stroking her arm again like he had before they'd gotten so interrupted. "Would you mind if I brought Melissa back once?" He hadn't seen his sister in ages. She'd adore Cha-Cha after the normal awkwardness of meeting someone knew.

* * *

"Melissa...sister?" Cha-Cha guessed. From the way he spoke, it was pretty clear. "I don't mind if she's not like your dad," she shrugged. If he thought it'd be alright to introduce them, though, she couldn't be. She was surprised he'd introduce her to anyone, to be honest. She thought it'd be a quick, in and out sort of weekend.

* * *

"Yeah, she'll love you." That was no doubt surprising considering what she'd heard about the rest of his family. "She always complained that she'd rather have a little sister than a little brother." He had told Cha-Cha last time they'd mentioned her that Melissa was a good deal older than her. That wouldn't get in the way, would it?

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, surprised. "That's not nice!" she giggled. "Don't get me wrong, girls are obviously superior, but still." It wasn't nice, but it was funny. Okay, she would have to be better than his father, then. Most people were, but still. She was already hesitant to Ed's family. Nice to know that at least one of them would like her, right?

* * *

"She thinks I'm boring. Maybe seeing that I manage to keep you entertained enough to stay around will change that. Then again you thought...think...that too? My self esteem is plummeting again," he teased. He had done something spontaneous last week, though. If he needed to prove he was capable of surprises, he could. A surprise that didn't involve anything to upset her, that is.

* * *

"Poor baby," Cha-Cha grinned, squeezing her arms around him gently. "Don't worry. You're pretty. You're allowed to be dull," she assured him. Not that he actually was, but...he would wear a suit every day of his life if she didn't stop him! A little stuffy. He had to admit to sort of stuffy. But he did indeed keep her entertained...

* * *

"Dull? Thanks. I appreciate that." At least pretty was sort of a compliment. So maybe last weeks spontaneity should be addressed. "What time is it?" he wondered aloud. Ed with no watch? How odd. But then he hadn't gone out of the apartment today, he hadn't needed it. "Darling would you go grab the watch I got last week?" he asked. He hadn't allowed her to look at it the day he'd bought it. To avoid her seeing what else was in the bag.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed. "But that requires moving..." and their bedroom was so far away! More than a foot. Not that she'd even be willing to walk a foot. "And where would that watch be anyway? Have you even worn it yet?" she asked. She wasn't sure she'd even seen it on him, yet. Not that she could tell one Rolex from another, but you'd think he would have shown her.

* * *

"I think the bag is still on the dresser, isn't it? I haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm attached to the one I've got now." He gave her a gentle, encouraging push. "You haven't seen it yet anyway."

Ed had found a necklace he thought was cute. It wasn't big and bright like the stuff she had. It was subtler, like he'd prefer. Which made him think she might not like it. But he'd gotten it anyway. Worth a shot. It was the thought that counts, right? The necklace was two interlocking hearts, one pink sapphires, the other white. Hey, pink got him points, right? The two hearts made a butterfly.

* * *

Finally Cha-Cha was off the couch, though she wasn't happy about it. Trodding off to the bedrom, she returned with the whole bag in hand. "It's heavy," she commented with a raised brow, handing it to him and plopping back down. Then again, she'd never held a Rolex watch in her life. Aside fom the one he had...

* * *

"Once you wear it enough you forget it's even there," he said, pulling the watch out. "What do you think?" Ed asked. "Does it get your approval or is going back?" He assumed he had enough sense to purchase a watch on his own. And doubted she ever had. Finally something shopping related he'd beat her at. He set the bag down on the coffee table with a light clink. Not a thud from a box, but a soft clink. A box and bow and all that seemed to over the top. He didn't want to make it a big to do. Instead he'd just removed the price tag and left it lying simply in the bag, waiting for her to find it if she got curious about the watch. He hoped again it wasn't too...normal. She had some loud and unusual jewelry that she loved.

* * *

Cha-Cha held his wrist, inspecting the watch. Well, it...oh...fine, it was nice. Very nice. But how did he even pick it out on his own? She was half expecting some monstrosity, to rival some of the ties she'd found in his drawer (and quickly disposed of). "I knew you knew more about fashion than you let on," she grinned, letting go of his wrist. Slowly, and hopefully sneakily, her hand started heading into the bag on the table. Something like that would be expensive, and he couldn't tell her it wasn't.

Her hand never found the receit, though, as it brushed against a small charm. Frowning softly, Cha-Cha pulled the rest of the chain out slowly, inspecting it. The frown quickly disappeared, and she looked at him with raised eyebrows. "What's this?" she asked, though it wasn't that hard to guess.

* * *

"It's pink, so it's not mine." Necklaces were hard to get on him. Actually, impossible was a more accurate word. Watches were his thing. And the ring he wore daily. But that was it.

* * *

Cha-Cha began to smile, easily putting two and two together. The necklace stayed clasped in one hand, but both her arms wrapped around him again. "Why'd you do that?" she had to ask, her cheeks flushing. No, it wasn't bright and flashy like everything else. But it didn't have to be. She wouldn't want it to be.

* * *

"Because I wanted to," he answered. "And I was getting stuff that day. Thought you should get in on the fun." He gave her a quick peck on her reddening cheek. "It's simple, but I thought it was nice."

* * *

Cha-Cha beamed, turning her head to kiss him properly. "I love it," she gushed, moving back a bit to look at the necklace more. How could he think she wouldn't? It was shiny! And incredibly sweet (but mostly shiny). Even if it wasn't, though, she probably would have still loved it. He didn't have to do anything.

* * *

"I'm glad," Ed smiled. He leaned in to kiss her again. Settling back into the back of the couch, grabbing the phone so he wouldn't have to get up next time, he tried to get as comfortable as he had been before. "So you're coming with me this weekend, then?" That left little time for plans, but he could arrange it.

* * *

Cha-Cha returned the kiss, snuggling back down against him. She played with the necklace in her fingers, the smile on her face refusing to budge. "Mm? Yeah, I guess," she nodded. It wouldn't be so bad, right? They'd be on the beach. She wouldn't have to meet the parents. She'd be staying with the sweetest man in the history of the world. The random act of affection was only sort of influencing her decision.

* * *

The timing of that gift hadn't been totally innocent. Well, it had been at the time when he bought it. But instead of waiting for her to stumble upon it like he planned, he thought bringing it out now might help. "Good. One last call then. I'll be all yours in a second."

He dialed with one hand, hugging her close with the other. "Melissa? It's Ed." He waited a moment and laughed. "Your brother, remember me? ...'Oooh yeah', ha ha. Nice. ...No, actually I haven't got long. Could you relay a message to the 'rents for me? ...Yeah, yeah, I did it again. We're all surprised," he said sarcastically. "Can you tell them Cha-Cha and I will be down this weekend. ...Yeah, we are doing that. ...Good idea, tell them that then. Thanks. I know, I know, but you don't call either. Sure. Yeah. Bye."

* * *

Cha-Cha waited semi-patiently, trying to get the necklace on as she waited. It was one of those ones where the chain was just a touch too short for you to see the clasp, and she was clearly struggling. She was on a mission though, not giving up like she usually would after a few tries. "She seems nice," Cha-Cha commented after he'd hung up, her hands behind her neck, still fumbling.

* * *

"Yeah. She said she'll just tell them I'm coming to...well, make it easier." His sister had jokingly said 'To stop Dad from following you back to your girlfriend.' He wouldn't go through the effort just to holler at her. But he didn't want to worry her with that thought anyway. He watched her a moment, feeling guilty for finding pleasure in it. It was cute. "Can I help you, Cha-Cha?" Ed offered.

* * *

"I can do it," Cha-Cha replied stubbornly, pushing the pieces together a few more times. Sighing, annoyed. "Gimme a minute..." a minute passed and it wasn't going anywhere. Finally, reluctantly, she turned her back to him so he could clasp the two ends together.

* * *

He got it on his second try. "Proof that I'm good to have around," he grinned. Turning his cell off, he focused his attention on her. "Now, what do we feel like doing?" Staying put to hold each other lazily, or get out of the apartment and do something like regular people.

* * *

"Yeah, there are a couple reasons. I _guess_ I'll keep you," Cha-Cha sighed as though it took alot out of her to admit it. She turned back around, pressing a few kisses to his neck. "I dunno, I can think of a couple things..." all which required staying in their bedroom for a couple more hours. They'd practically been in there for three days straight. Fresh air would be nice, too, but...

* * *

Ed grinned, rolling his head to the side as he closed his eyes. Yes, could stay inside another day. No problem. "Do you want to go for a walk?" he suggested randomly. An urge to stretch his legs came out of no where. While she couldn't run in any pair of shoes she owned, she could walk. Then probably cry her way to a foot rub after.

* * *

Cha-Cha took her mouth away from his jaw, grinning. "A walk? Does that take energy?" she teased. Okay, so did other things. That came out of nowhere though. Shrugging, she moved away from him. She supposed they had to leave the apartment sometime, right? They'd always come back. Standing up, she went off in search of shoes. "A walk where?"

* * *

"Anywhere. Do you feel like the park? Central, not Tompkins Square. We had a nasty case there recently. Not in a hurry to go back." Yes there had been several in Central Park this year too, but it was bigger and easier to avoid the areas. "Or...yeah, the park is the only thing coming to mind."

* * *

"Before you lost your job?" Cha-Cha asked rather tactlessly. Not that she had a ton of tact in the first place. Sitting back down on the couch, she started strapping her heels on, before pausing with one foot on the couch. She had a better idea. "Hey, Ed," she started. "Have you ever gone rollerskating?"

* * *

"No," he answered without much thought. Then he took the time to stop and think. "Oh no," he said quickly, "put that mischievous gleam away. Don't even think about it." This was one of the few moments she was able to scare him.

* * *

Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow, starting to undo her heels. "You'll love my rollerskates though, baby," she teased. Who wasn't to love? She got speed, style, wind through her hair...plus he got to chase her when she ended up going too fast! Good times.

* * *

He had a feeling she'd like to speed away. "...will I?" Well he'd thought about a run, hadn't he? Careful what you wish for. "Alright..." First time for everything. He probably couldn't talk her out of it anyway. But he was keeping his feet on the concrete, thank you very much.

* * *

"You will!" Cha-Cha assured him, leaning over to kiss his cheek gently before racing to their bedroom. Leaning into the closet, she shuffled around until the wheels in question were found. A few minutes later and she was rolling out of the bedroom, grinning. She was actually pretty good, something she hoped would surprise him. But she'd been doing it awhile. Practice makes perfect, right? "Don't worry. I won't leave you too behind," she teased.Posted by Ed Green on Jun 29, 2008, 8:39pm"Thanks." He tried to sound like he didn't find it adorable, but he couldn't help smiling. She could make anything fabulous. "Well, ready?" he asked.

* * *

"Mmhm," Cha-Cha smiled deeply. The wheels gave her a few extra inches, putting her at about his height. A few milimeters over due to her hair. "I don't know if you wanna take my hand or not. I don't wanna pull you down in the mud or something if I gotta speed up," she thought about it as she glided to the door, determined to find a compromise.

* * *

The new height was something he'd have to get used to. He was used to having her cute little self beside him, not even with him. "If I hold your hand will that keep you from zooming away?" he asked.

* * *

"Or you'll get dragged along with me. Let's try it!" Cha-Cha giggled, reaching for his hand. She wouldn't atually speed away while he was attatched. She wasn't sure who would let go first, but either way, one of them would end up crying. And it wouldn't be her!!

* * *

He laughed and pushed her out the door, following after he locked it. On the street he clasped her hand tightly, wondering if she'd really dart off. He didn't want to be left behind, but on the other hand she had never seen him run. He could keep up for a while if he had to. "So are we going to the park, or just around the city?"

* * *

Cha-Cha kept her hand clapsed in his, going as slow as possible so she wouldn't trip him. She could easily keep a walking speed on her skates, but she wasn't usually holding onto anybody, either. "More room in the park," she pointed out. It was also harder on a crowded street. One too many people she could potentially hurt, one too many lawsuits waiting to happen.

* * *

So to the park they went. He walked a little faster than normal so she didn't get bored going so slow. "If you want to go ahead a little, be my guest." As long as she stayed within sight. He sighed. She wasn't a little kid, but that had been the first thing he thought.

* * *

She let go of his hand, travelling a few feet ahead of him. Then she slowed down again, travelling at his side. "There's really nobody to talk to up there," she informed him. She could go slow for him. As long as he wasn't that much of a slowpoke.

* * *

"I just thought you might wanna go a little faster for a bit." He picked up his pace more, speed walking as fast as he could without jogging. The park was in sight, the entrance a couple blocks away. Ed thought for a moment. "I'll race you," he smirked.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed to herself. "Eddie, I think there's an _obvious advantage_ over here," she pointed out, motioning to her feet. Still, though, she was intrigued. Cha-Cha rarely backed down from a competition. Rarely being never. Almost never. "Race to where?" she asked, squinting at the park entrance. Please, she could win that no problem. "Make it hard!"

* * *

"I feel like running," he said, laughing himself. He was fast, but had to admit she'd probably win. Unless he cheated. Even then it'd be hard. "You know the part where the path curves, and there's that garden with the weird fountain?" he asked, considering his chances. He'd definitely have to cheat to have any hope. "You know where I mean?" He darted off without waiting for a response. Hey, she'd find it, right? If she could have wheels, he could have a head start.

* * *

"Right, right, ri--hey!!" Cha-Cha gaped as he ran off, quickly speeding up. How was that fair?? That wasn't fair!! He knew what he was getting into. He rejected the skates for himself. Why should he get a heads up? That sneak! It only made her more determined to win, and before long she was where he was.

* * *

It felt nice to run for fun instead of running after a murderer. A very nice and welcome change. Ed knew he couldn't stay ahead of her much longer. Hopefully his laughter wouldn't mess up his breathing. Ah, there she was. He figured she'd catch him fast. Speeding up he did his best to stay with her, assuming she wasn't even going as fast as she could. Breathing hard, he coughed out a laugh, glancing at her occasionally.

* * *

"Don't tell me you're getting tired," Cha-Cha teased, not relenting. Okay, she may have been breaking a sweat, too. But she still had alot of speed left in her, and led him on for a few minutes before gliding into lead. Carefully. "Cause that would be a real shame!" she called back to him. Teach him to race her again. And then_ cheat_

.

* * *

_God where is that fountain_! Ed swerved to avoid running over an old woman, and then of course a family of five had to be on the path soon after that. He didn't slow down, but it was bothersome to have to go around them on the grass.

The grass! Of course! Cha-Cha couldn't skate on the grass! What was stopping him from taking a minor short cut? Absolutely nothing, considering she couldn't follow after to beat him. Ed cheated again, leaving the concrete path.

* * *

"Get your damn kids off the path," Cha-Cha muttered to herself. Though honestly, she didn't care much who heard her. Why were parents so stupid sometimes? Really? You don't let a five year old just dawdle off on their own. Actually, that fie year old had some of the blame too. How dumb do you have to be not to move? People are racing along this path, did they not know? Cha-Cha hated families sometimes.

Her jaw dropped as she watched her boyfriend blatantly, _blatantly_ cheat. Might have hollered some inappropriate words infront of some families. Well, the kids were gonna hear it one of those days anyway. What source would they prefer, her or...rap music or something? "You're a jerk!" she called after him, considering her options. Taking off her skates would take too long, and she couldn't go across the grass in them.

Well, if he could cheat, so could she, right? Slowing to a stop, she weighed her options. Fake an injury? Or something...considerably meaner?

All she was saying was there might have been an attractive gentleman a bit up the path. She _might've_, accidentally, skated into him, tumbling them both to the ground. And of course since he was a perfect gentleman, of course he helped her up, cpmplete with smiling and flirting and blushing on her part. She glanced back a few times, hoping Ed was catching this.

* * *

Yes, Ed saw. Slowing down he walked backwards so he could watch her. He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. She _would_ do that. He made his way back to the concrete. "Happy?" he called, slightly out of breath. _Don't make me come over there_

.

* * *

The man with Cha-Cha looked in Ed's direction and Cha-Cha laughed, waving her hand and continuing the conversation. He was already too far ahead. He could just fume over there for awhile. "You know, I really do like your...plaid jacket," Cha-Cha commented, touching the man's arm. Well, if her acting skills had ever been tested. "The um..elbow patches are a nice touch." Oh barf.

* * *

Touching him. _Oh really?_ So she was going to stay there, hmm? Ed figured the second he got over there she'd dart off. Then where would that leave him, having both lost and given in to jealously? Or at least annoyance. That guy wasn't really a threat. Any other day she'd run screaming from that jacket.

He stopped moving, content to stand there and try to force himself to glare at her. At least he could catch his breath.

Okay seriously, she could get a move on now.

* * *

"What's he doing?" Cha-Cha asked, watching Ed but trying not to be too obvious about it. She was failing miserably. Plaid-Jacket was obviously confused, but she wasn't answering any questions. She felt trapped. He was already ahead, and at the moment they were in a dead lock.

She acted drastically. "You know, I'd really like to go out some time, do you want my phonenumber?" she asked Plaid-Jacket, loud enough for Ed to hear.

* * *

"_Oh...SERIOUSLY._" He hadn't done anything when she drooled over Carmine. Not even when the man came over. And occasionally during movies she was a little too concentrated on the main actor. Who didn't dream? But honestly, this man was attractive but with a fashion sense that would make her break into hives. Apparently she wanted to win enough to be willing to drive him batty. Fine. If she wanted him to stomp over, he would. Whether Plaid-Jacket knew what the hell was going on or not. He'd go on the cement though, to catch her if she tried to speed by.

* * *

Cha-Cha was scribbling a fake number down when Ed finally got the message. She pretended to keep talking, until Ed was within a few metres. She patted PJ's shoulder before taking off. Though her boyfriend was on the pavement, she was banking on hopefully skating past him fast enough. Taking a deep breath, she geared herself up and went as fast as she could, praying she'd get by him.

* * *

Psh, not a chance. He'd tackled harder targets before. Yes, even on wheels. Teenagers, you know. Ed also had practice on how to get them on the ground without hurting them. Well, he tried very hard with Cha-Cha. Anyone else, if they got scraped a bit...things happen. In the end he successfully had her pinned. "I was trained for this sweetheart, don't take it personally."

Plaid-Jacket was confused. His almost date was tackled to the ground by the black man that had hollered 'Happy?' at her. ...What?

Ed noticed the man's look and knew he was wondering why he had just jumped on her. "Hey, I saw her first."

* * *

Cha-Cha screamed, directing alot of attention their way. Well, she was used to it. "You _are_ a jerk!" she exclaimed, pushing on his shoulder in an attempt to get up. Course, she wouldn't be able to get up anyway. It was hard to stand up when you were wearing wheels. That didn't occur to her. "You really are a piece of work. You cheat multiple times over, now you think you can just get on top of me? In _public_?" Her voice rose a bit as she went on.

"Hey, buddy," Plaid-Jacket apparently saw fit to get involved. "Look, I don't know who you are, but--"

"Oh, PJ," Cha-Cha sighed, trying not to laugh. Obviously she and Ed knew each other. But he was pretty, he didn't have to be smart. "I'm sorry, baby. He really did see me first...even though he is a HUGE JERK," she added quickly, hitting Ed's shoulder one more time.

* * *

The man still stood there, questioning the sanity of the two. Ed kissed Cha-Cha in hopes she wouldn't hit him again. Looking up to Plaid-Jacket he said, annoyed, "Hey. _Buddy._ It took a lot of work to get where I am. Go find your own girl." He was dismissed.

"And you," he began, staring down at Cha-Cha. "If you scream like that I'm going to get arrested again." One of the women whose attention had been caught by the noise looked suspiciously at him after he said 'again'.

* * *

Cha-Cha returned the kiss, rolling her eyes. After waving goodbye to Plaid-Jacket, she looked up at him. "Then don't _make_ me scream again," she rose an eyebrow. Sighing, she gave up. "You really are a jerk," she muttered, leaning up to kiss him again.

"There are _children_ here!" exclaimed a concerned mother.

* * *

Ed grumbled and looked up. "Well...we were here first."

"No you weren't!"

"Ma'am, you gonna argue with a nutcase or get your kids to safety?" He watched her leave in a hurry, his satisfied smile in place. Rolling off Cha-Cha, he laid on his back beside her. "As fun as jumping on you in front of a bunch of strangers is...I have a feeling if I keep it up a uniform will be around shortly." He whispered seductively into her ear, "I think we should just admit that I won and pick this up at home." Hopefully she'd agree quickly to the last part without thinking about the beginning.

* * *

Cha-Cha bit her lip, nodding her head finally. Yeah, that sounded good. Very very good, in fact. "Cept...I think I need help up," she laughed softly, leaning over to kiss him before sitting up. She held her arms up for him to help her.

* * *

Ed got her up carefully. The journey home was much more relaxing than that sprint, but he had had a good time. He needed to run now and then.

"So do you wanna invite that guy to join us if we see him?" he asked with a smirk.

* * *

"Sure! Let me find him." And she was off again. Did he really think he was getting off that easy? She'd been able to catch her breath while she was talking to Plaid-Jacket. The fountain was so close...and he had to still be out of breath, right? As long as she could just keep ahead of him for a couple more minutes...

* * *

"What the hell?" he gasped, suddenly finding no girlfriend beside him. "Cha-Cha!" And he darted after her again. He was cutting across the grass again, but it apparently wasn't going to help much now. "YOU CAN'T PROMISE ME SEX AND THEN JUST RUN AWAY!" Yes, he did just scream that as loud as he could after her. It might have been embarrassing if he could think properly, but he was killing himself running so fast that everything else was faded.

* * *

The fountain was in sight. Her laughter cut off her breath support a bit, but she still had a heavy lead, right? Though admittedly, she came close to doubling over when she heard her distressed boyfriend. This was the man who wouldn't even hold her hand in public a few months ago? It wasn't like she was backing out on the promise though! Just...finishing things up. Winning once and for all. What was he gonna do, accuse her of cheating?

"Again, get your damn kids out of the way!" she exclaimed, annoyed, as she nearly ran over some babies. Just a little further...

* * *

It was futile. He was laughing too hard to stand a chance. If he managed to stay running he'd impress himself, but winning was long gone. Yes, she would definitely reach the fountain first. But he believed he won the shouting contest.

* * *

Cha-Cha reached out, grabbing the edge of the fountain. Finally. A cheer escaped her mouth as she finally started slowing down. And Ed was nowhere even close. See, cheating never paid off! She beamed at him, waving from her spot at the fountain. Well, that was her workout for the month.

* * *

Give him a little credit, he wasn't that far behind. Panting, he sat on the edge of the fountain. "You know," he breathed, "for being old, I wasn't that bad." He wanted to fall into the water. "If we were both running...oh forget it, I don't care. We need to get home." He coughed out a laugh. Everyone around knew why.

* * *

If they were both running, forget it. Cha-Cha wouldn't stand a chance. He didn't need to know that. Sighing and nodding, she took his hand, starting to head back. She was moving considerably slower this time. "You sure you've got the energy? I don't wanna go giving you a heart attack or something," she laughed softly, wiping a bit of sweat off her forehead. Gross. "I need a shower."

* * *

"What a coincidence, so do I." If they went together it'd save on the water and heating bill. Plus, less water being used. They'd be considerate of the worlds fresh water supply. What hearts of gold. "I'm gonna feel this tomorrow..."

* * *

"Of course you do," Cha-Cha laughed, rolling her eyes. "I'm already feeling it," she admitted. Her legs were sore from speeding up so much, and she was still a bit out of breath. Once they got inside she'd take off her rollerskates. Usually she was fine spending alot of time in them, but she didn;t usually race, either.

* * *

She'd be taking off more than her rollerskates, that was for sure. He was glad he hadn't said that one out loud. He'd gotten the neighborhood in on his thoughts enough for one day. "For a prize I'll give you a massage later. If I'm awake later."

* * *

"Really?" Cha-Cha perked up, that smile returning to her face. "I wasn't gonna say anything, but...oh who am I kidding. My feet hurt so much..." she moaned dramatically, sighing softly. But if he was offering, there was no need for her to whine and carry on, right? As long as she got her massage.

* * *

"Would getting your feet out of those help?" he wondered. "If you wanna walk home I can carry you. It. _Them_." What was 'it'? He didn't know. But he'd carry her rollerskates home if it'd help at all. "Then again barefoot in New York might not be a good idea."

* * *

"I'm not walking barefoot," Cha-Cha shook her head. That was just asking for trouble. "However, I kind of liked that first idea. You carrying me..." she gave him the puppydog eyes. She was the winner, after all!

* * *

"That was an accidental offer," he laughed. No, no those eyes weren't going to work. "Besides, we're blocks from home. I can hardly get myself to our building." A shower sounded amazing right now. Even one without her in it.

* * *

Cha-Cha pouted. "Fine. Forget your poor, hurt, tired girlfriend then. Who you cheated on. Who you tackled. And may I remind you who started the race in the first place," she added. He couldn't even pin it on her this time!

* * *

"Hey, you took off again. I was willing to go home without actually getting to the fountain." She had made it longer than necessary. "Cha-Cha, stop pouting. Seriously. You're making me feel guilty." Telling her that might not have been wise.

* * *

Exactly the plan. Cha-Cha sighed pitifully, rolling along a bit slower now. "Okay then. Just...pretend I didn't skin my knee when you _ruthlessly_ jumped on me. Make yourself feel better." Her leggings weren't even ripped, and any knee injury was probably a result of her collision with Plaid-Jacket. But still...he started it! She wouldn't have had to run into him if he hadn't cheated on the grass.

* * *

Ed's walls were tumbling down with each pathetic noise coming from her. "_Cha-Chi_," he said just as pitiful as she was, "you didn't _really_ hurt anything, did you?" No he would not carry her. But he would give her more attention than she really needed.

* * *

Cha-Cha beamed at the nickname. That was a new one. A good one. "Yes I most certainly did! I'd stop and show you but then I'd probably fall again. And it would be your fault, again," she sighed. How much more convincing was it going to take. "I'll make it up to you..."

* * *

"Can we just get a cab and call it even?" he asked. He didn't want to walk any more than she did. Besides, if she got her way he'd probably be too tired to be alive today. "And it wasn't _all_ my fault." Why did she always try to pin everything on him? She was just as mischievous.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed. It wouldn't be as good as being in his arms but... "_Fine_." At least it wouldn't be walking. She could take her skates off in the car. "Don't think this is over though! I'm still getting a prize," she told him. A massage souded good. After they washed up a little. Yes, _washed_. She needed a legitamite shower, whether he wanted to come for the ride or not.

* * *

"You're so hard to please." Most of the time it was the opposite. He was allowed to change his mind. After flagging a taxi down, enjoying not having to walk, and sulking into their building on sore feet, they were home.

"I almost want a bath. Too tired to stand." Baths were for children, but really now, he'd just sprinted across Central Park. Hmm. Together a bath could be quite fun. "Foot rub in a bubble bath?" he offered.

* * *

Cha-Cha moaned at the idea, putting her skates away. "You are speaking my language," she mumbled, moving to wrap her arms around him. She was ready to sleep right then anf there, but give her some time and she'd be energized again. He had that way with her... "I haven't taken a bath in years," she added, then laughed at how wrong that sounded.

* * *

Ed smirked but didn't say anything. He knew what she meant. Besides, he'd personally witnessed her shower. He'd vouch for her cleanliness.

Standing in the bathroom, he stared at the bath tub. _How in the world are we going to get two adults in at one time?_ If she sat in front of him maybe, but good luck getting a foot rub that way.

* * *

Cha-Cha didn't care much how they did it, as long as it got done. She started getting rid of some layers, yawning into her wrist quickly. "Maybe we can just bathe for right now," she shrugged, noting the size of the bathtub. That was most important right now, anyway.

* * *

Warm water was filling the tub. Ed had considerably less layers, and therefore was stripped and getting in first. He didn't actually have official bubble bath, but shower gel bubbled enough to get the idea. Scooting to the back, he judged how much room there was. Yeah, if she sat between his legs it should work... "Trade foot rub for shoulder massage?" As if she wouldn't get a foot rub later anyway.

* * *

"Mmk," Cha-Cha smiled, climbing in after him. A deep sigh escaped her as she sat back against him, her eyes closing. This was much, much needed. "So how mnay small children do you think we traumatized?" she asked after a few minutes, grinning to herself.

* * *

Ed got his arms around her waist. She'd get her massage once he'd relaxed a little. "Hopefully at least four. Can you turn the water off before this overflows?" he asked with a grin. Squeezing her softly with his thighs he said, "We should do this more often."

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, leaning over to shut te tap off. Settling back in his arms, she nodded her head. "I like doing stuff like that with you," she mumbled. Remind him he wasn't just a detective. Well, not even a detective anymore, but...reacquaint him with the kid inside of him.

* * *

"I was actually talking about how I get to see you hot, wet, and naked. But running after you was fun too," he teased. "Today was definitely well spent." Aside from his father pushing his mother down the stairs -okay so he couldn't prove that, but he was still suspicious they were faking- everything had gone so great.

* * *

Cha-Cha pretended to be greatly scandalized, touching her neck like a rich old lady. "I _never_," she giggled, leaning up to kiss his cheek before settling back down. She couldn't help wondering when her massage was going to start, and leaned forward a bit expectantly. "I know. And we got out of the bedroom! I'm proud of us."

* * *

"Yes," he said, running his hands up her back to her shoulders. "Out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. We're really improving." His fingers made deep circles as he rubbed her hot skin.

* * *

"Well, you know. We can't get too crazy," Cha-Cha grinned. She couldn't fight a soft moan, her eyes closing again as her breathing slowed. "Now this...I should let you do this more often," she whispered, swallowing hard.

* * *

"Mmm, please do," Ed agreed. It was just as enjoyable for him. He moved from the shoulders to her neck, back again and down along her spine. May have followed it a little too far down beneath the water. Hey, couldn't help himself. _God this was a good idea_

.

* * *

Cha-Cha bit her lip harder, squeezing her eyes shut. "That is not my shoulders," she teased, though she wasn't complaining. It was very hard to complain at the moment. If she could, she'd lean back and kiss him like she wanted to. Later on she would.

* * *

Ed smirked. "My mistake." His hands returned to her shoulders, getting her neck now and then too. You know, with every inch of her just...there in front of him, it was hard to stay focused on just her shoulders. He was good for five more minutes, then he had to wander again. "Your legs sore, hun?" he asked, already on his way to massage her thighs.

* * *

Cha-Cha bit her lip, leaning back against him again. "Mmhmm," she mumbled, swallowing hard. Those weren't her shoulders, either. She couldn't bring up the effort to complain. Kissing his cheek gently, her eyes began closing again. A few minutes passed and she yawned again, hoping it wouldn't break the mood too much.

* * *

Ed knew they were supposed to be relaxing. Taking it easy, resting their muscles after the craziness today brought. But come on. He had his lover in front of him, undressed, shining with sweat, and pressed against him. He was all that too, the bath water not the only thing contributing to why he was hot. This scenario was missing one important thing. Started with s, ended with x, had an e in the middle.

No, no, he was a gentleman giving his wonderful lady a massage. She wanted to relax, so he'd let her relax. Would massaging more insistently-er, uh, _lovingly_-help?

* * *

As if she didn't know what he was trying to do. "I could fall asleep right here," she admitted, shifting against him. Shifting closer to him. Would he actually let her sleep, though, she wondered? She doubted it somehow. The way he was touching her now, it was pretty clear what he had in mind. "Couldn't you, baby?" she asked teasingly.

* * *

"Whatever you say." He kissed her shoulder. Look, he was where he was technically supposed to be! And here she probably thought he forgot what he was doing. No, really, she'd get her massage. Just his lips were taking over for his hands. No big deal.

Baths were for children? Who decided that. This was so incredibly the best place for adults to play. He wanted her so bad it hurt. Was so in love he felt high.

* * *

Cha-Cha moaned again, tilting his head up so she could kiss him properly. She liked this side of him. He may hae had ulterior motives, but what did it matter? She felt better than she had in a long time. "I love you," she whispered, completely meaning it. They were words that could just get thrown around, and she had thrown them around more times in her life than she liked to admit. But this was different. She could tell this was different. She meant it.

* * *

"You took the words right outta my mouth." So he attempted to get them back. His tongue searched her mouth to no avail. The words were gone. Oh well.

"My leg is going to fall asleep soon. Maybe we should stand." Hey, after that, who knew...

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, still a little taken back from that kiss. She could stay there with him all day, but finally let him up. Standing carefully, she climbed over the side and went to retrieve some towels. Yes towels. He'd probably protest to being covered up, given the mood he was in but still. They were wet...


	21. Virginia Beach

Cha-Cha by Operatic. Ed by BOWIEgirl. Don't anything. But we can pretend.

* * *

Virginia Beach

Driving was not one of Cha-Cha's favourite ways to spend the time. "Virgina and New York aren't very close, are they?" she moaned. Flipping through the radio stations got old after awhile. Kissing Ed's neck was fun, but then they almost drove off the road and everything, and dying was not how Cha-Cha planned to spend the day. Sighing, she sank down further in her seat. Should've brought a...colouring book or something.

* * *

"No, not really. I didn't think you'd get bored so quickly though. Why don't you take a nap?" They should have flown. He hated to rent cars, he got used to his own and didn't like adjusting, but obviously anything over an hour and she was done.

* * *

"I'm _not_ tired," Cha-Cha huffed, looking out the window for a few minutes. That got boring fast. She wanted to be at the beach. She wanted to go swimming. She wanted to be there. "So how much longer do you think it'll be? About?" she asked, trying to keep her cool. If he said over an hour, she was going to lose it.

* * *

"Hours, honey," he laughed. "Go to sleep." If she was going to ask 'Are we there yet' every fifteen minutes, he'd knock her out himself. "We are definitely flying to Florida," Ed mumbled.

* * *

Cha-Cha stared at him. Hours. "Are you joking me?" she asked slowly. He had better be joking. No way could she stand a few more hours. No way. Her legs were already jumpy. "I mean it. Are you kidding? I really hope you're kidding."

* * *

"If it makes you feel better, we're almost in Virginia." Yeah they definitely hadn't reached the right state yet. What to do to get her mind of it... "Why don't you tell me what you and the girls did this week?" She'd seen them once for a day of shopping. That had to be at least an hours worth of stories he'd zone out for. Listen to intently! That's what he meant.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed. "We went shopping and saw Carmine and I told them about the race and then the bathtub, which I think kinda intersted them but no big progress as of yet, sorry hun. Okay are we there now?" she rattled through the story as fast as she could, not interested in keeping on that for too long. She was bored.

* * *

"How detailed did you get?" he asked, not sure how he felt about that. Okay maybe it came up with his friends, who he finally had time to see. Not having a job gave him lots of free time. But they were different. They were all fine with her. Cha-Cha's didn't like him. That made it weird.

* * *

"Detailed enough," Cha-Cha grinned mysteriously. They were girls. Girls talked about the men in their lives. Girls compared notes. But in her opinion, Ed had a pretty high standing, and she didn't let her friends disagree. How could they really disagree with what she was telling him. "Not all the personal stuff, but...y'know. Detailed enough," she laughed.

* * *

That didn't make him feel better. At all. New topic please. "Change the radio station, it's too staticy." Oh good, it actually was. It just happened to be the first thing to come to mind.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, flipping through the stations again. Landing on some latin station, she left it on that. "So do you think your sister will like me?" she asked. She hadn't been sure what to bring, in terms of wardrobe. She didn't have a whole lot of conservatie wear, as she was sure Ed appreciated, but some of it just wouldn;t be appropriate. Not if she wanted to make a good impression.

* * *

"I _know_ she will," he smiled. She had to, she was his sister. It was in the rules. Siblings band together against parents. Besides, she was as crazy as Ed was serious. _Yet she still managed to be the favorite._ He just hoped Cha-Cha wouldn't prefer Melissa over himself. That'd be humiliating.

* * *

"Good. Think you'll bring her back tonight?" Cha-Cha asked. She wanted to meet Melissa, but she also wouldn't mind having some time on the beach with Ed. Swimming together or just lying lazy on the sand. Maybe rollerskating on the docks! If there were docks. What sort od beach didn't have docks?

* * *

"How about tomorrow?" he suggested. "It might be too overwhelming. For me, not you. You get to explore the beach. I get to go home for the first time since Thanksgiving. Which didn't go so well. But they probably forgot by now. They have new stuff to be mad about." What was he talking about again? Oh yeah, Melissa. "Anyway, I want to get Dad out of the way. And I won't be very happy. I'd rather introduce you when I'm feeling like myself." He thought that over. "I'll be happy to see you, I mean I don't want to be ranting the whole way to the hotel and get both of us worked up..." Meeting a post rant Melissa wasn't the best first impression. "Am I making sense?"

* * *

"What happened at Thanksgiving?" Cha-Cha had to ask. She nodded, putting a hand on his thigh comfortingly. It was intended to be comfortingly. "I get it. Plus I want to keep you all selfish for myself and explore the beach with you," she admitted with a laugh. She hadn't gone swimming in years, but it wasn't as fun alone. Plus, she might need help getting acquainted with their hotel room. You know, a grand tour, or something. Really.

* * *

"Well I got a call from them saying Melissa had pneumonia. They way they were talking it sounded like she was dying or something. I drop everything and fly down within two hours to find her sleeping on the couch with hardly the flu. Honestly, sniffles, at the worst. Dad said it was a miracle. I said it was a shitty ploy to get me to come down for the holiday." Which he didn't stay long for. Two days and he was home. "I'm half expecting my mom to have an Ace bandage on her ankle." He didn't get why she went along with his ideas. He hadn't thought she'd known about the Melissa scam, but he talked to her about her own foot...

* * *

"Well..." Cha-Cha tried to find something to say to that. Something that wasn't too mean to his parents. "At least they wanted you home...?" she tried. Hey, her mom probably didn't care if she turned up in a ditch somewhere dead. Okay, that probably wasn't totally true, but she acted that way.

* * *

"Yeah," he nodded. In a weird way it showed they cared. Very weird. "That was the highlight of Thanksgiving weekend. I don't really want to get into the rest." His family was...ech. "When was the last time you saw your parents?" They weren't as intrusive as his own.

* * *

Cha-Cha thought about it herself. "Saw them? Um, my dad...last...I guess Christmas, he came over on Christmas Eve. He made me go to mass with him and watched some Christmas movie...Ivana and Grace barged in and got into an hour long conversation with him. It was fun," she nodded. Over six months. Daughter of the Year went to...at least she talked to him on the phone once a month. "My mom...probably back when I was in my early twenties. Earlier twenties," she bit her lip. "Probably...when Javier had his daughter, I think?" That was about four years ago. Oh dear. And there weren't too many phonecalls, either.

* * *

"You're an aunt?" he asked. Javier was her brother, right? He knew she had a brother and the name sounded familiar, but her family didn't come up much. The past few months had...sorta been...all about him and his. Wow. Self centered much, Ed? he thought. He hardly asked about hers, and she was driving hours to his? Then again, the few times he'd tried to talk about her family she'd gotten quiet...

* * *

"That's why I moved out," Cha-Cha shrugged. Well, it was when he got married. But the niece came shortly after that, so pretty much. Thinking back, it was one of the few times she's seen her mother happy. Well, since she came out, anyway. It was sort of nice. Even if she got that same disapproving stare and cold shoulder whenever she walked in the room. "One of the only kids under ten I can stand," she added with a giggle.

* * *

"Ah kids," Ed sighed. His cousins had kids. In small doses they were great. After a few days they got boring. Then annoying. "There aren't a lot of young kids in my family at the moment. Is there just the one in yours right now?"

* * *

"Um...just the one that I see. Probably some of my cousins and...cousins of cousins and all that," Cha-Cha had a huge extended family, but only a couple that she still saw. "But I never see them anymore. They wouldn't recognize me," she admitted softly. They didn't know. They wouldn't approve, and her mother was too embarrased to tell them.

* * *

"Oh." Now he remembered why he didn't ask. He didn't know what to say. 'Their loss' was too cliche a response. Now there had been too long a pause for a comment to be appropriate. "Sorry." About the situation, and for asking.

* * *

"It's okay, honey," Cha-Cha assured him quietly, squeezing his thigh gently. After a moment, she added, "I wouldn't wanna deal with all those howling brats anyway," with a soft laugh. Cha-Cha would never, ever be a parent, and not just for the obvious reasons.

* * *

He chuckled. She might not like them, but he imagined she'd be great with kids anyway. Or maybe he couldn't imagine her not getting along with someone? There was a difference.

"I'd like to see a mini-Melissa eventually," he thought with a grin. "That'd be something."

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, even though she had no idea what a mini-Melissa would be like yet. But his laughing made her laugh. "Is she married?" she asked. Though, then again, being married had nothing to do with having children.

* * *

"Yeah. She better get a move on though. She's forty one. Don't tell her I told you though. She could probably pass for my younger sister. Still, she can't wait forever." He wanted a niece. It's like a daughter you can give back when you get bored. Perfect.

* * *

"Maybe she doesn't want kids. Not everybody does," Cha-Cha countered. Hell, it didn't seem like either of them did (a wonderful arrangement for Cha-Cha, by the way. Not that they were anywhere near the point where kids would be an option, right? Not that kids were even going to be in the picture, just...yeah, moving on...) "You can play with my neice if you want. I'm sure Javier wouldn't mind, you won't drop her or anything. Course, you'll have to meet Javier first," she added, poking his arm. Javier, she was relatively certain, would have no problems with Ed. He didn't exactly know about her history with men. According to him, she'd been single for years. What was to be apprehensie about?

* * *

"Yeah, well, _I_ want her to," he laughed. Melissa had a small say in this, Ed wanted a niece, he'd get a niece. Or nephew. Preferably a niece though. He couldn't help it, girls were adorable. And while he wasn't completely against the idea of having a munchkin around his own home, he'd realized finding a lover of any kind was hard enough without that in the equation.

"Is Javier like a Cueva equivalent to Melissa?" A supportive sibling. Occasionally left out of the loop to keep that support there.

* * *

"I guess," Cha-Cha giggled, thinking about it. "I lived with him for...nineteen, twenty-one...two years..." she wasn't the best at numbers sometimes. "Yeah. He's better to me than my parents are, and that's what matters," she nodded with a grin. That probably wasn't giving him enough credit. He dealt with his drag queen sister--yes, his _sister_--for two years, along with all that came with living with her. Not everybody in the world would do that.

* * *

Ed had been ecstatic when she agreed to live with him, but everyone's different. His meticulous apartment may have disappeared, but the company he gained was worth it. "Good, nice to know we're each got someone." You know, aside from themselves and friends. You needed a family member.

* * *

'Well, yeah. Though my dad isn't really that bad either. Makes me wear jeans and go to church with him sometimes, but other than that...I think he'd like you." Her father had never really minded that she was gay. And again, according to him, she had been single for years, waiting for 'the one'. That...that probably had something to do with why he was okay with it. But any promiscuity on her part was in the past now, right? And Ed was a good boyfriend for him to meet, if he was going to meet any. He was financially stable, mature, loving. As long as the newspapers stayed out of Mr. Cueva's grasp, they'd be golden. "I'm his _son_, though," she added.

* * *

"Ah," he nodded. Got it. Better than nothing? "You okay with that?" If Ed could read her mind, he'd be wondering if he'd almost made it to 'The One' status if there was potential meeting her father moments coming.

* * *

Cha-Cha shrugged. "It could be worse. And I mean...I am a boy, so he's not technically wrong." And besides, it wasn't like she'd ever tried to push the girl thing on him. She wasn't even sure he knew about the Miss Flawless competition, though she did have the crowns on display. Anyway, she'd take what she could get, and she was pretty much okay with being a boy to him.

* * *

"Mhmm." Ed forgot sometimes, as silly as it sounded. He was gay, he dated guys, he should remember. But she didn't look like your typical guy. See, _she_ didn't look like a typical guy! It was probably the pronoun usage that got him. Until, of course, night came and _she_ turned into _him_ before Ed's eyes. Or it was a particularly hot day and shirts needed to be off.

Anyway, whether it was a 'she' day or a 'he' day or something in between, Ed would be there regardless. Ready as ever to pounce on his lover.

* * *

That was all Cha-Cha really needed. Some lovers had insisted she was male, whether they didn't have the sense to ask for her preference, or they just didn't care. But she'd never had to correct him before, and she knew he'd say whichever she preferred. There were times when she felt nearly purely male, and other times when she couldn't feel further from that. As long as he stayed on her side either way, she wouldn't worry.

Talking to him, she'd almost forgotten how bored she was. "How much longer now?" she sighed.

* * *

"Cha-Cha, I love you. And I want to still love you by the time we get there." They had hardly talked half an hour. Was she going to 'How much longer' the whole way there? "Hours, honey. Still. Just...focus on the nice bonding we're doing. Think of something to talk about." He tried to think if there was anything he'd ever meant to ask her, but never found the time. Hmm.

* * *

"You will always love me, you jerk. I'm the love of your life," Cha-Cha teased, rolling her eyes. Whether it was true or not, how wise would it be for him to deny it? "How could Virginia be hours away? You really did wanna get away from them," she commented. She'd never been quite that brave. Or rich enough to make it on her own.

* * *

Hey, he'd _earned_ his escape, thank you. Guilt checks went to saving for situations like this. Everything else was his paychecks. "Well, you kinda got the idea why, didn't you?" he asked. She'd heard his father on the phone enough times, right?

* * *

"True, true," Cha-Cha sighed, thinking. What could they talk about? Hours. That really was a ridiculous time period to drive for. "How did you stand these drives when you were alone?" she asked. Because she made pretty awesome company, of course. Are we there yet, are we there yet, are we there yet?

* * *

"I enjoy driving. Unlike somebody, apparently. But most times I flew. And before you cry about that, it's because someone would pick me up at the airport and I'd stay at the house. If we'd done that we would have been trapped there."

* * *

"Aw, flying?? You shoulda gotten Lennie to pick us up. I never flew before," Cha-Cha sighed. It looked pretty cool, though. Well...scary. But still sort of cool. He'd protect her, though. Even though if they went down in a fireball there really wasn't much he could do... "But then again, driving's good too."

* * *

"Think that through, my dear." Yes, Lennie could handle the New York end, but someone hd to get them in Virginia. "Did you miss the part about staying at the house? Without a car?" He didn't rent cars. It was a thing he just didn't do. He got used to his and wouldn't drive anything else. Though if he and Cha-Cha had faced being stuck 24/7 in his parents house...first time for everything, right? Driving to a hotel would have been required. "You can fly home if you want," he laughed. He'd have to drive, but if it drove her this crazy...Posted by Cha-Cha de los Santos Perez... on Jul 1, 2008, 9:24pm"Sorry. I've been driving so long my brain is broke," Cha-Cha huffed. "Would you fly with me? Cause I'm not going alone." No way, absolutely not. Not alone. It would be bad enough with him.

* * *

"No, the car has to get home somehow. But we are never driving anywhere again," he laughed. He enjoyed talking with her, but somehow everything ended up at the same place._ How much longer?_ So...what now... What was something they could talk about for a while. Ed could go on about his family, he knew, but he wanted something positive. "Any ideas on traumatizing Virginians?"

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, thinking about it. "Well we're going swimming together," she reminded him. "Umm...I dunno. It's the South. Won't we be enough to do it?" she pointed out with a laugh. Southern people in general weren't as open minded as those in New York. Here you had a homosexual, interracial couple, one half being gender-confused. This was gonna be a fun weekend.

* * *

"Right. I forget we aren't the normal couple. But what does swimming have to do with it?" Well, maybe two men half dressed together- yeah that's about as far as he had to get to figure that one out.

He almost suggested the jacuzzi, because really, what hotel didn't have one, but if it went anything like the other night... They' be out of a room. Unless they sat on opposite sides. And they would be sort of clothed, right? He could control himself. Right? There was a chance it'd stay family friendly.

* * *

There was _no_ chance that would stay family friendly. Cha-Cha could promise that. She couldn't control herself. She couldn't pretend what happened in the bath was unwelcome. At all. "Pretty much. It'll be fun though. You gonna go tanning with me?" she added. Okay, even if a tan wouldn't do much him good, could he say no to lying together on the sand?

* * *

"You don't think I'm dark enough already?" he asked with a laugh. "But um, yeah, if I'm back from the house early enough, sure." Depended on if the sun was still hot enough to be worth laying under when he returned. Maybe go early, come back to her for a bit, back to mom...so much driving... Alright, mom got morning and early afternoon. Cha-Cha got from at least 3:00pm on. He'd figure something out.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded. "Well if not, you can give me a tour of the hotel room," she giggled, winking at him. Hey, everyone had to have hotel sex at least once in their life. She had, but maybe he hadn't? Either way they'd pretend it was their first times and they'd have a ball. "Or we can go to the beach at night. When it's all cold and pretty outside." Clearly she'd put alot of thought into this.

* * *

He assumed that it went unsaid that he was very, very into the first idea. Ah, but had her adventures been motels or actual nice hotels? That made all the difference. Yes, Ed would know. Either really bad or really fancy. In the middle just wasn't the same.

Oh, sand at night could be fun. "Be those people with flashlights on at midnight looking for crabs? Actually I'd just like bothering people with the beam...but crab hunting is a good excuse." For years he never knew what those people were doing. Just looking at the sand? Really? After two in the morning?

* * *

"Crab hunting?" Cha-Cha asked. The idea made her laugh. Why would they want crabs? What possible use would one have for crabs? Okay, crab meat, but...crab hunting! Like bee farming, only on the beach. Shaking her head, her giggling finally died down. "Or we can just hold onto each other...look at the stars." Shut up. Cha-Cha could be ridiculously romantic sometimes. Besides, how often did she see stars, anyway? They lived in New York.

* * *

"I seriously don't know _why_ people do it, I never have, but hey, if it gives me a reason to have a flashlight out to shine at people..." He was a nice gentleman, wasn't he? He'd never dream of disturbing any windows with the light.

"I like your idea much better," he grinned. Anything that could make a cold night hot was a good idea.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, covering her mouth. "Ah, Eddie. I love you. You make me seem nice," she grinned. A difficult feat indeed. "Maybe I should wear my skates, just incase any high-speed chases go on when people finally get sick of you. As we've seen they are highly effective when racing the police," she smirked.

* * *

Ed rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, you won, we all know. Good job." Sore loser. Even though he'd seen it coming. She'd get tired of rubbing that in eventually, wouldn't she? ...psh, yeah right. "But you know, good luck on sand, sweetheart."

* * *

"I'm just a winner, Ed. Fate smiles down upon me," Cha-Cha teased. "Least now I can say I've been tackled by a New York detective. Though...I guess I've been able to say that for awhile," she laughed again. Shrugging, she added, "There's gotta be a boardwalk or somethin. Anyway, it's better than just running. As we've seen, you're not the fastest on your feet."

* * *

"If I weren't driving, Cha-Cha, _if I weren't driving_..." He'd probably tackle her again. The verbal abuse poor Ed went through... "If I have to I'll push you in the sand. You are not skating off and leaving _me_ to get caught in this hypothetical chase. Although you know if you were running you wouldn't stand a chance."

* * *

Cha-Cha gaped at him. "And how do you know that?" Of course he was right, but he didn't have to know that. She could be some sort of...marathon runner or something for all he knew. She wasn't out of shape, at least. Well...not really. She ate junk but usually worked it off. Did that count?

* * *

"Call it an educated guess. Besides, cops like me and our imaginary officer run all the time. How often do you?" Okay, for him it was becoming 'ran' all the time instead of 'run'. Whatever. He couldn't remember ever seeing her moving more than she had to. "Don't get me wrong, your legs are fantastic." He would know, too. "But I just can't see you as a runner. Long distance anyway." Great, now all he could think about was her legs.

* * *

Cha-Cha stared at him, unsure of what to say. "You're just mean, Ed. You are just a mean man, and you're just picking on me," she decided, shaking her head. He was just making assumptions about her, and everyone knew what that made him. "But I'll forgive you cause you're only doing it cause you like me," she added with a grin.

* * *

"Exactly. Think of it as me chasing you around the playground." Boys were always supposed to tease the person they loved. It was just a fact of life. Did people think men grew out of that? "Chasing and then catching..." If she could brag about beating him in the park, he could dream of beating her when it was fair and square.

* * *

"How do you know you'd catch me?" Cha-Cha shook her head. As long as she wasn't in heels, how would he know he was faster? Even if he really was. "If you did, it would only be because you cheated again. And I know you would," she grumbled.

* * *

"Because nothing can keep me away from you, including _you_." If he needed to, he could catch her. And yeah, he probably would cheat. But only because he loved her.

* * *

Cha-Cha wasn't expecting that answer, and the smile returned to her face. "Can you stop making me love you? It gets annoying sometimes," she teased. He was a hard person to stay mad at. Good for him, but unnerving for her. Or it would be unnerving if he weren't so amazing. See? It happened again!

* * *

"I'm sorry, I'll stop," he laughed. Hey at least he wasn't making her hate him, right? He'd never try that intentionally. "Happier news, we're just over one hour away."

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed. She didn't like the words 'just over'. Or the word 'hour'. "So what can we do in just over an hour?" she asked. With him driving, keep in mind. That narrowed their options down alot. "Tell me a story," she decided, too lazy to come up with something herself. "An...embarrasing Ed story."

* * *

"I'm not telling an embarrassing Ed story," he said, rolling his eyes. Why? Obviously it would be embarrassing. Despite his protest, his mind was already filtering through the events of his life, trying to find something he wouldn't mind her knowing. His mother would come up with plenty of stories, none of which Ed would tell himself. Another good reason to keep her away from Cha-Cha.

Nothing coming to mind really topped that newly weds in the hotel story from so many months ago. Could he think of anything else he'd done on the job that she would find amusing…? Well there was that one thing that had nothing to do with his job. What was that, three years ago? Like he'd bring that up. That was...okay the point was to be embarrassing, but that had just been a bad idea. "I can't think of a thing," he lied, hoping he sounded sincere.

* * *

"Oh sure you can't. You just don't wanna give me stuff to make fun of you with," Cha-Cha giggled. Could read him like a book. Course who would willingly give up that sort of information? "Course, if you were a man you'd be able to face the humiliation as such. And you'd realize you have a caring, loving, wonderful lover who wouldn't dream of making fun of you," too much. "But if you wanna be that way, fine. Are we there _yet_

?"

* * *

Oh god no, she was not going to 'Are we there yet' for the next hour. "You know, you've uncovered numerous things about me I wish you hadn't. Why can't we talk about you?" He wasn't really annoyed, it was a ploy to change the subject. Another thing had popped into his head and if he thought about it too long he feared it would show.

* * *

"There's nothing to tell," Cha-Cha replied too quickly. "But Eddie your stories are more fun! You've been around longer. More time for you to mess up." Or one would think. Cha-Cha had faced a surprising number of mess ups in her short twenty-something years.

* * *

More time to mess up. Thanks. But everyone knew denying that fast was a dead giveaway she had stories of her own.

"Fine." How to put this so he didn't have to relive it all over again. "There was this..." No. "It didn't..." He knew this was a bad story to tell her. "Basically...there are two reasons I don't date men with water beds anymore." He wasn't sure if he wanted to look at her or not. Her expression would probably be amusing, but then would he be able to finish? "Sex is incredibly difficult. And water beds can pop."

* * *

Cha-Cha was trying incredibly hard not to laugh. Not to be nice or anything, but she wanted to be sure she understood before she went nuts. And she would go nuts, guarenteed. "It popped?" she asked slowly, forcing the grin off her face. "What do you mean...sex is difficult?" She had some idea but she wanted to know.

* * *

"I don't really want to talk about having sex with someone else with you," he laughed. Sort of weird. Friends were one thing. Your current lover? Quite different. But those eyes could get anything out of him. "Especially not when it...just...did not work out well. You have to be able to imagine that on your own." A bed of water was not easy to sit on without constantly steadying yourself. Never mind attempting other positions. "I mean...you fall all over the place. The bed you're on just goes wherever it wants to. It's hard to get two people in the same spot at the same time for more than two seconds."

* * *

Cha-Cha finally laughed, just imagining it. Her poor Eddie. "I bet you would have still been with me if I had a waterbed," she hoped, her hand resting on his thigh again. She just liked it there. "So...did you make it work out? Or did you go home alone?" she asked, the amused smile still on her face. What? She couldn't help it. She probably would've laughed if it happened to herself.

* * *

"Yes, yes, laugh. I thought it was funny too. The first time." Second time had been even worse. Why was there even a second time? It never should have happened. "I insisted we go to my place after that. I forget how or why but somehow we ended up back there again a few weeks later." He was going to make her tell him a story for this. "I'm not exactly sure _how_ two people can manage to pop one, but...we did." Had he left a pen or something in his pocket? That couldn't have done it, right? Something in the frame stabbed it? Just jumped on one too many times? However it happened, a sopping wet Ed had stormed out of the apartment.

* * *

"That's why god created couches, baby. And showers and floors and bath tubs, apparently," Cha-Cha shook her head, laughing. Twice in a few weeks. Wait. "A few weeks?" she asked. That was a long time to be seeing somebody. A really long time. Her relationships lasted a week at the most.

* * *

"Yeah," he said, oblivious to why a few weeks would be surprising. She'd been with him a while, he forgot that that probably wouldn't be normal for her. His in general lasted a few months. Unless there was an obvious issue with the man. Had to give things time to develop though. "Should have known before that disaster. It makes a good story, but that's at least a month of wasted time."

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded. In his opinion then, she would'e wasted many, many months. "I don't usually last that long. My longest relationship was like...six months-ish," she responded softly. She was still in it. "We broke up though, cause he took me on this really boring car ride," she added with a moan, resting her head against her window.

* * *

He wouldn't consider any of their time together wasted if she left. She left. He couldn't think of any reason good enough for him to go anywhere. "Yeah, what a jerk for taking you to a beach. He should have just let you stay home and relax in an empty apartment."

He hadn't realized he'd made it the longest. Wow. The same didn't go for him, but he hoped eventually he'd be able to say it did. Actually hoping it would was turning into believing it would. The longest relationship she'd been in. Huh. How bout that. "Am I really?" he asked.

* * *

"Are you surprised?" Cha-Cha asked with a small smile. And still, she couldn't be sure why. Well...she loved him, obviously, but it wasn't like he was the only one. She was pretty sure she'd been in love before. She knew she had been, ending with another one of those mess ups that were so common for her (though granted, a more painful memory than popping a waterbed). But why he could last so long...yeah she was in love with him, but it wasn't at first sight or anything. Somehow he got longer than the rest. She didn't even get that freaked out when he took those big steps (well...not as freaked out anyway).

* * *

"A little," he admitted. And yet...no, at the same time. He could believe that she'd get bored with someone quickly. Or be too hard for someone to handle. Meant that in the nicest way possible. She was a bit unusual. Drag queen not being the only thing contributing to that.

He was grateful she hadn't gotten tired of him yet. She constantly teased him about being old and boring, but she was still around so he must be doing something right. "But seeing as how I've no intention of going anywhere anytime soon, I'm sure you'll beat the current record for me too."

* * *

Ed was a more normal person than she was. He'd probably had much longer relationships. That she was even running was enough to please her. "You think so?" she asked with a smile. "How long do I have to beat?" He was already there for her. She wouldn't mind being there for him either. Cause for the first time in any relationship, she wasn't planning on taking off, either.

* * *

"You've already passed a few," said Ed. Now about the longest. He wasn't sure if knowing would intimidate her. Maybe intimidate was the wrong word. But he didn't know if it'd make her feel small in comparison, or inadequate or something. She asked though, so he answered, "A little over two years." Did the idea of staying with the same person, even him, sound boring to her? Telling her he expected her to stay that long seem too assuming? He was never certain how she'd take things. Maybe it'd please her to know he wanted her for that long. Who knew.

* * *

Double take. Two _years_?! "Jesus, Ed. Mine was like...two months before I met you," she gushed. How does one last two years?? She'd be...twenty seven if she lasted that long. Well...her birthday was sooner than she liked to admit...make it twenty six. But still, that was old! That was two years. She couldn't even imagine being able to stay with someone that long. Even him. Yet he seemed to think she could do it...had implied it, anyway. "That's ridiculous. No offence. Who was it, Starr?" she shook her head. Not that there was anything wrong with it being Starr, but that was the only one of his exes she knew about. Aside from Water Bed Boy, apparently.

* * *

Yup. He'd expected that reaction. "No, she was more like, a year and a half maybe. More like a year and three months-ish." Still had Cha-Cha beat. "Brad was two years. Who was yours?" Another evasion that would probably fail. If only he was better at interrogating her.

* * *

Cha-Cha wasn't sure this was the time to get into that story. Even though she knew it had to come up eventually. It probably already should have. What was the big deal though, right? Tell him her longest relationship. No biggie. Tell him how she messed it up completely...not as easy. 'Messed up' was too kind to say. Two years had provided more than enough time to get over Scott, but the fact remained how badly she had wrecked it. It should have been talked about before, but...

"Um...his name was Scott," she replied slowly. "And to be fair, it was three months. And a half." And eleven days if memory served her right. She didn't elaborate, and let him decide if he wanted to hear more or not.

* * *

Ed had no idea it was awkward territory. Exes usually were, yes, but some were easier to talk about than others. If he could have been able to tell what she was thinking he would have backed off. That not being the case, he pressed, "And?" He didn't know what he was asking for. Surely a fact or two could be surrendered. Besides, she hardly told him anything about previous relationships, while she knew the ins and outs of Ed and Starr. He was curious.

* * *

If it had to come out, she wanted it over with fast. Didn't want to drag it on forever. If she did that she could chicken out, and decide not to tell him last minute. Then where would they be when it finally came out? It had already been too long. He'd told her practically everything...and there was still alot he didn't know. Better to let him in quickly, then to hold off and have it bite her later. It wasn't fair to leave him in the dark. "And he loved me and even though I loved him back it scared the shit out of me and I cheated on him."

It came out faster than she intended it to, and absently sank a bit lower in her chair. Kind of matched the low feeling she had in her stomach. While she couldn't claim to love Scott anymore, that didn't make it right. Any of it. "So um...I guess that's sort of why I didn't freak out, when you told me about the married guy and stuff, cause..." she sighed. She hadn't envisioned doing this in on a long car ride. Would have preferred to sit him down and tell him one day...why though? So she could run away after? Be too scared to face his reaction? "But it was two years ago," she added. And she'd gotten past that point with Ed and no problem. Maybe...he wouldn't freak out?...too bad?

* * *

Oh. Well. That was...good to know? If he didn't know her like he did now, he might have been worried with this knowledge. He loved her. She loved him back. Cheating on him comes next? No. He knew better. She didn't have time. Oh, and the whole trusting her thing. But seriously he never let her get more then ten feet away from him anymore. She couldn't cheat on him even if she wanted to.

'But it was two years ago.' That was more unwelcome than the actual confession. Why? Because when that was supposed to help _him_ explain away a past problem she never accepted it. Gambling was several years ago. 'You should have told me.' Depending on which Starr episode you were talking about, she was two or nine years ago. 'You didn't tell me.' When something was in the past for her it was allowed to stay there, but his had to be dragged back out and examined?

Ed wasn't the type to freak out on the spot. Only when provoked properly. And this wasn't enough to get him angry. Because in his opinion it seemed the relationship was safe. They had known they loved each other for a while now, and no signs of cheating. Maybe loving and being loved scared her last time, but she seemed to be hanging in there with Ed now.

"We didn't really love each other." The married man and Ed. Ed liked doing something unexpected of a respected detective. The man had wanted a distraction from married life for a while. "But I get your point." Probably could have said something a little deeper.

"I guess," Cha-Cha watched him carefully, trying to gage a reaction. Okay...not mad. Didn't seem to be second-guessing her, which was a gigantic relief. The reason she hadn't told him before. One of the reasons. There hadn't really been time, had there? If she'd told him that when the whole arrest was going on...how would that have made him feel any better? And any time before that was too soon. He didn't care about her enough then. Easier for him to leave her. And...it would have been easier for her to be left, too. But that was the thing...even then...she didn't want to be.

"I'm sorry, Ed," she mumbled, her eyes drifting to her hands, into her lap, anywhere but him. Sorry for doing the deed, sorry for not telling him, sorry if she put any doubt in his mind. There was no reason for doubt. She wouldn't do the same thing to him; had no desire to, and wouldn't make the same dumb mistake again. He meant too much to her, and she didn't need anybody else. "I mean...he wanted to get a house together and stuff, and...I dunno. Have some sort of...not marriage, but...gay-engagement? I don't even know," she smiled softly.

"But I mean, I was twenty three then, and I was too young and stuff...and it just scared me and I didn't think. I mean he moved way too fast..." she stopped that train of thought quickly. No way was she pinning blame on Scott. Not now. "And...I was just too young." She still was, probably. But Ed...he gave her time, and was rewarded for it. She was living with him. She loved him deeply, and would admit it freely. The night he told her she stayed with him, rather than running off. And he'd upset her that night, giving her more and more reason to leave. Scott had planned some romantic dinner for her before telling her. If that didn't prove she loved Ed, what would?

"But...that's over now, and I love you and it wouldn't happen again," she concluded. That was the most important part, making sure he knew that. Contrary to common belief, she did grow and learn from her experiences...occasionally. She knew that when scared, it was best to talk to your lover, rather than some...random guy you barely know that name of. No matter how attractive said guy is--_no_, she was not going there! "I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she said finally, still not looking at him full on.

* * *

"Actually, sweetheart, I'm glad you didn't." 'Sweetheart' when he wasn't in trouble. A good sign. "It might have worried me more." But now had been a good time. He knew she was his.

Her actions were almost understandable. "I think you're right about it having been too fast." Three months and he wanted to be as married as a gay couple could be? That would scare anyone. Especially Cha-Cha who was used to short relationships.

Ed had known he loved her about then, but he'd anticipated that reaction. He dropped hints now and then to see what she'd do. If he got a 'back off' vibe, he would. If she had seemed interested, he'd pursue her until she gave him that look that said 'not yet'. And he'd wait until next time. His 'I love you' hadn't been at the ideal time, but it hadn't been rushed or just thrown out there. And she hadn't run away. That was good. "He apparently didn't notice the look you get." He knew what he meant and forgot to elaborate. Forgot she hadn't heard that in his head.

"I love you too. This is probably a moment where I should kiss you, but I'm a little busy." Driving, you know. He hoped that'd get her to look at him again.

* * *

"I have a look?" Cha-ha asked with a grin, wrinkling her nose slightly. Finally she looked at him, searching his face. She was almost surprised to see no anger...at all. How could that be right though? The...approxamately two other boyfriends who'd wrangled it out of her had dropped her on the spot. The smile on her face growing, she leaned in to kiss his cheek firmly, getting as close to him as the chairs would allow. Not very close, but with one hand on his thigh and her head against his shoulder she was able to tide herself over. "You're not mad?" she asked softly, nuzzling his upper arm gently.

* * *

"You do. It's very helpful. Almost as good as you flat out saying 'Stop' and 'Go'. You didn't realize you did it?" he asked. Sort of figured she was doing it intentionally so she wouldn't have to verbally say 'Hey hold on'. "It's why I'd change the subject if love came up." He had tried to tell her several times, but he kept getting The Look.

As for being mad... Mad wasn't the right word. He was feeling something, but it wasn't that. Couldn't put his finger on it, but it wasn't that. "Not really." Best way he could find to say something was going on inside him. "For one thing, you didn't do it to me." Oh, his reaction would have been very very different if she'd said she did it to him too. "So it wouldn't be fair for me to yell at you." Plus he never could yell at her unless she'd already been yelling at him for a while. Or...like he just thought, she'd done it to Ed. "And I am glad you told me now, and not three months ago. Because I would have felt like I had to walk on eggshells to keep you around." It would have been their own three month mark. If he'd known that story he wouldn't have hinted at love at all. Wouldn't have asked her to move in as quickly as he had. Wouldn't have done anything more than stop by her place every night like he had at the beginning.

"I think I'm doing this wrong," he said with almost a chuckle. "I should probably be suspicious or something. But...for at least the past month I've seen you almost all day everyday. So...honestly honey, do you even have the time to cheat on me?"

* * *

"Oh. I thought you were just extremely in tune with my feelings," Cha-Cha teased. Okay, she had some inkling of a look. Didn't know what she was doing or what it looked like, but it was hard not to when your whole body got tense. She shook her head when he mentioned doing it to him. It would never happen. She'd make sure it would never happen. "Even if I had the time, it wouldn't happen," she promised, kissing his shoulder before sitting properly in her seat again. "And I don't want you to think it would, cause...trust me, I don't even want to."

* * *

"Hey, I had to learn how to read it." That hadn't been as easy as it sounded.

"Good. I don't want you wanting to," he said, smiling. Obviously. "And if I do suggest something that scares you, tell me. I can wait." She hadn't lasted this long before, he had. It wasn't like he was thinking 'been there done that' though, she was definitely different than anyone he'd dated before. And she was newer to it and understandably got uneasy sometimes. But they were living together, he couldn't think of anything more they'd do now that would scare her. He hadn't thought of marriage like the Scott guy had. And hey he'd had her longer than him.

* * *

If it were possible for Cha-Cha smile to grow any more, it did. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why Ed Green has lasted the longest," she announced quietly. One of the reasons anyway. She loved Scott at the time, but he pressured her. He wasn't the only one, either. Remember Will? That was the only reason she moved out in the first place. But that's sort of how she met Ed, so it was worth it. And...if she could help it...in two years time, she wasn't going to be sitting around saying, 'Remember Ed?'. Cause she was still going to be with him. "I love you," she said again, just wanting to make sure it was said and he knew it. She seemed to mean it more and more.

* * *

Ed grinned. So slow and steady really did win the race, huh? He felt relieved she hadn't panicked because of anything he'd done so far. Well, okay we are looking beyond this month. That doesn't count. "I know. I love you too. And we're almost there." Thought he'd add that on.

* * *

"Bout time. Fine, I guess I'll keep you for a bit longer," Cha-Cha teased, grinning at him. Okay, that was a relief. How he wasn't mad at her, she didn't know. She probably would've been if the roled were reversed. But then...Ed was beyond amazing and she probably didn't deserve him at all. That had something to do with it.

* * *

He thought she should have left the man instead of cheating on him. That's what he would have preferred. He wouldn't want to share her with anyone. Having her gone would hurt, but if he wasn't enough for her, that'd be it. That might have been what the two who left her thought. Without reminding themselves that she hadn't done it to them. Expecting a 'yet' to follow that wasn't right on their part. If you had no faith in her, what were you doing staying with her?

"Less than half an hour and you can get out of the car."

* * *

"So what takes half an hour?" Cha-Cha thought out loud. "You need one of those cars with a pull down DVD player that shows Bugs Bunny," she decided. A few months ago, she wouldn't know what to do with a DVD if it hit her in the face. Living with Ed had spoiled her a little bit.

* * *

Ed laughed. "I'll keep that in mind for the next one. And here I thought talking to me was good enough to distract you. Can't beat a talking rabbit, I guess." What competition.

* * *

"Well you can, but you'd have to have something really special," Cha-Cha agreed with a laugh. Like a...well she'd let him know when she though of it. "Like a dancing and singing rabbit. Y'know, I don't think I ever saw Bugs dance," she shook her head disapprovingly.

* * *

"I have. There was a musical episode. Bugs and Elmer, I think they were doing Aida, but I'm not sure." It was some opera. "My niece makes me watch them with her," he added.

* * *

"Does he really? Now you know why he's so entertaining," Cha-Cha giggled to herself. Ah, Bugs. An American tresure. "Aw see, you're an uncle? Not Melissa's kids though, I'm guessing?" she asked. Did he have another sibling he hadn't mentioned to her?

* * *

"Right, not Melissa's. Technically she isn't _really_ my niece, she's my best friends daughter. But...they're closer to me than most of my family, and I've known them forever..." It counted. And everyone knew how much Ed wanted a niece.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded. That made sense. If she ever had kids--and that was a huge huge monstrosity of an if--Ivana and Grace and Rusty would all be honorary aunts. It would work both ways. "I'll have to meet said friend sometime," she giggled. If said friend existed and all.

* * *

He couldn't believe she hadn't met anyone yet. At first he'd had work all day, and he was so focused on getting home to spend whatever time he could with her, he didn't want to share the attention by having a friend over. And weekends wouldn't have worked because he was still greedy and wanted all day with her. Then her moving had seemed like a good reason for them to come. Help carry boxes from her apartment to his. But then the Bunny and Starr thing pushed any thoughts of introductions aside.

He had phoned and and e-mailed friends, and had even gotten together with a few now and then when he was out. Normally on the way home from work which meant no girlfriend with him. He really needed to get on with that. They all wanted to meet the infamous drag queen.

"You will, whenever I find the time. Which should be easy now." Heh heh. Constant reminders of his current unemployed status. More time for fun anyway. He'd gotten over there to see the friend, Vaughn, last week. Why hadn't Cha-oh yeah, she'd worked that evening.

* * *

"True. A big group or a few that are scattered?" Cha-Cha asked. While she had three best friends, they really were part of a bigger community. She wasn't as close to alot of other queens but she still considered them friends, simply because they had that familiarity, And of course, believe it or not, she did have some friends who weren't queens. Like two. Walt being one of them.

* * *

"All at once would be a little overwhelming, don't you think?" He knew she liked attention, but she had to have limits? Plus, Ed had met three of hers at once, and just that had been a bit much for him. Then again he wasn't the social butterfly she was. "Besides, they won't want to have to share your attention with each other."

* * *

"True. I wouldn't want to make anybody jealous," Cha-Cha sighed haughtily, a grin meeting her lips. "Are they as cute as you are? Are they straight?" Straight boys and her didn't always get along, but when they were cute, it was a little easier for her to relate. "We know they'll like me, obviously, but will I like them?"

* * *

She would, too. If she picked a favorite and talked to him more than the others, they'd have a couch full of depressed men and one standing beside her with an inflated ego.

Cute? "You won't be disappointed in that area," he had to admit with a laugh. "Just remember I found you first, I love you more, and...whatever else you need to convince yourself you're mine. I think you'll like them, though. There's really only one straight guy I'd have you meet. And no girls."

* * *

"So you've got your own little gay club hidden away!" Cha-Cha was surprised but tickled. And he'd claimed to be straight all those years? If only his coworkers knew. "Are they cuter than you? Younger or older?" she asked, extremely interested. A bunch of apparently cute gay men could do that to a girl. "Single?"

* * *

"It doesn't _matter_ if they're single, honey, _you're_ not." He rolled his eyes with a laugh. Really now. What did they just go over? What happened to being happy with him? Still smiling he continued, "Some are older, some are younger. Four or five years both ways." She was much younger than any of them. "They're attractive, yes."

* * *

"Oh right, I forgot," she teased, rolling her eyes. No she wasn't single, but so what? Could a girl not be curious? Was that not allowed? "That's good. I figure cute guys roam in packs, and you're a cute guy. Then again, you didn't go all that crazy over Carmine. Should I question your taste in men?" she asked with a giggle. Though his taste in women was pretty stellar, if she did say so herself.

* * *

"Just because I don't obviously drool over someone like _you_ do doesn't mean I find them unattractive." Words couldn't really describe Carmine. Ed wouldn't admit that out loud, but no human could look at that man and not think 'Wow'.

* * *

"I guess. Carmine is hard to not find attractive," Cha-Cha nodded. She wasn't even sure she'd met anyone who didn't. Well, besides straight men maybe. But if they could come to their senses one day, they'd see it too! Lesbians she'd leave alone though. They'd saved her butt one too many times.

* * *

"The closest thing to a Carmine in my group would be Vaughn. Who happens to also be my best friend. Though that had nothing to do with it. And I liked him before he and his wife had their daughter." Yes, the previously mentioned straight guy Ed had casually mentioned was his numero uno friend.

* * *

"Your best friend's straight?" Cha-Cha asked. She wouldn't have been more surprised if his best friend were a leprechaun. "I thought Lennie was your best friend," she added. Of course, Lennie was straight too, but he didn't count to Cha-Cha. He was a cute old guy, and older than she liked them; he was out of the running on default. "You liked him? Like, _liked him_ liked him?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Well...how could she blame him, when all his friends were cute gay men? But that would suck if he fell for the one straighty.

* * *

"Yes, he is. And Lennie doesn't count. Lennie is...Lennie." People say partners got closer than spouses. While Lennie had never liked the idea of being almost married to Ed, he agreed they had an incredible bond. "I didn't 'like him like him'," he said, rolling his eyes, feeling like he was in elementary school using terms like that.

* * *

"Aww," sure he didn't. Even if he actually didn't, guy bonds were so sweet. "Were you his best man? Please tell me you've gone camping and watched at least one game together," she added. What, that's what all guys did together, right? Just like straight girls had pillowfights in their underwear. Too bad they couldn't check out the same type of people, though. It was hard to compare notes. Though with her he sort of found some middle ground. "That's cute."

* * *

"I was. But sorry, no camping, I doubt he could take the bugs. Sports he can handle." Watching anyway. In high school Ed played whatever he could. Which one was gay again? "And what I meant was that I was his friend before I knew I got a niece out of the deal." Who used 'liked him liked him' anymore anyway?

* * *

Cha-Cha still used 'liked him liked him'. "Could you take the bugs?" she asked with a laugh. She couldn't She knew she couldn't. He didn't look much like a bug guy either, but you never knew. Surprises everywhere... "Where did you meet him?"

* * *

"I wouldn't turn down a camping trip in Pennsylvania that three of my friends spent weeks organizing because I was afraid of a little mosquito. If that's what you mean." Not that Vaughn had or anything. Not that they had decided to take Steve as a last minute replacement. And him not following the rules about preventing bears from being attracted to your camp and breaking into your car if you left food in there? No. Didn't happen at all.

"I heard about him through a friend who hated him, actually. Long story there. I had this idea of an arrogant asshole, and then I ended up at a party that he was at too. I was curious about the jerk I'd heard so much about. It was so long ago I can't remember what we talked about, but we did talk and he wasn't bad at all. We had mutual friends, so we kept running into each other on accident until we just _decided_ we should be friends. Since we saw each other so much anyway. It seemed like the logical thing to do. So we stopped waiting to run into each other and hung out on our own."

* * *

"I would," Cha-Cha admitted with no shame, grinning. Bugs weren't her style. Not that she was afraid of them or anything. She'd take bugs over...snakes or other lizards or something like that...Not that she was afraid of them either!! Honest. Really.

A complicated story, but alot of times friendship ones were. "He seems nice," she told him, even though she had no idea whether he was or not. "And he's all cool with the drag queen thing...?"

* * *

"Ahm..." Cool was an understatement. He'd never actually sat down and had a conversation with a drag queen before. Hanging out with a group of gay men, they usually ended up at gay friendly bars. He enjoyed the nights out just fine. Had seen several drag queens. But since none of Ed's group had actually befriended the girls, Vaughn had never met one. He was ecstatic when Ed told him he had a girlfriend. He knew what that meant. Ed knew he would adore Cha-Cha, but he wasn't sure if he'd ask stupid questions straight people tended to ask. ...Nah, Vaughn was smarter than that. "Yes."

* * *

"Good," Cha-Cha beamed. One friend down, at least. Now she just had to work on the big one. "Does Lennie know about these friends? Guess not, right? If he just founf out you were gay," she answered her own question. She really did like Lennie, even if the older man was still a bit unsure of her. But she felt like they'd sort of bonded, anyway. Going behind Ed's back. Good times.

* * *

"Lennie has met a few. It's not unusual to have friends. He just met the...less eccentric ones. Although, if Vaughn weren't actually straight, I wouldn't have let him near Lennie. If he weren't married, I would _swear_ he was gay. Maybe he's just hung around us all too long." Ed could pull off straight acting naturally without a problem. He had to coach Vaughn on what to and what not to say around his partner. Something was seriously wrong with that picture.

* * *

"Is that weird for him, hanging out with so many gay guys?" Cha-Cha asked. She wouldn't be able to stand a week around straight guys. Though...that was mostly because they wouldn't be into her and it'd really hurt her ego. "How's Lennie taking the gay thing?" she added. Not to hurt him or anything, she just wanted to make sure it hadn't hurt them at all.

* * *

"No, he's fine. You know some of us act like normal human beings." Not all gay guys were like Jack on Will&Grace. Some were like Ed. As straight as a gay guy could be. "And uh, Lennie just doesn't like talking about it much. I think he's more insulted that I didn't tell him than freaked out by it. But he has asked how you are doing."

* * *

"Really?" she asked with a deep smile. She hadn't expected that. Not that she thought Lennie disliked her; few peoplr disliked her. But she didn't think he'd care enough to ask. "I like Lennie," she commented. Even if she wasn't exactly what the older man had expected, she hoped he still liked her...at least sort of. One day, maybe.

* * *

Ed had expected Lennie to take longer too. It was nice to have something go surprisingly right for once. "I'm glad you do. He's warmed up to you faster than I thought he would."Well...he'd consider asking how she was doing part of the warming up process. It wasn't getting worse. So there.

There. Finally, they were there. "Happy now, hun, there's your hotel."

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed in relief, "_Finally_." Looking out the window, that relief got even more positive. He wasn't so off earlier, when he guessed motel for all her...experiences. Never anything fancier than that. To her a Holiday Inn was like a five-star hotel. "Not bad," she approved, a severe understatement.

* * *

"I get her a beach front hotel, and she says 'not bad'." He was just kidding. Before long they were parked and checking in, Ed already enjoying the desk clerks reaction. Never seen a drag queen before, apparently. Or a man who couldn't let go of a drag queen. Both in one day was seemingly hard to take.

* * *

Cha-Cha found it amusing too, kissing Ed's neck a few times as he checked them in. Both to make them uncomfortable and to hide her amused smirk. "Nice people," she commented about the workers as they headed into the elevator. They were giving them odd looks, whispering amongst themselves. Only not really with the decency to whisper. Five bucks said they wouldn't be getting any complimentary soaps.

* * *

"Indeed." Ed pushed the button for their floor. He hoped she enjoyed the ocean view, it wasn't cheap. But she agreed to come on this parental crisis trip, so she would be spoiled. More than at home. If that was even possible at this point.

* * *

Cha-Cha could barely believe it when she got up to the room. She stayed at the window for a good five minutes. Those motels, they...well...all she could say for them was that they had nice ceilings. This... "This is ridiculous," was all she could think of to say. In the very very best way. Finally she took her eyes off the view, her arms wrapping around her man.

* * *

While she was looking at the scenery, Ed was busy arranging things in the room. He preferred to live out of drawers and not a bag. Even if it was just for a weekend. "It's a thank you for coming. But I guess ridiculous works too." He returned the embrace.

* * *

"You don't have to thank me," Cha-Cha replied, kissing him gently. He brought her to the beach and he felt the need to thank her? The beach. Parents involved or not, it wasn't a bad thing. Breaking away from him, she started helping out, throwing some things messily in the drawers. Knowing her she'd leave them there, but it was something to do. "I hope you brought swimming things. I am getting you in that water, if you have to go naked," she promised him.

* * *

"I did, I did. But if the same goes for you, make sure you keep an eye on your stuff. Might just go missing." He wondered what kind of swim suit she'd wear. "I think it's too cold for the ocean now." He preferred middle of the day, hot shining sun. "But if you want to swim tonight, there's probably an indoor pool."

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled at his suggestion, shaking her head. "Dirty minded male," she teased. Yes, she had brought her swimsuit. Obviously. Finishing up, she shoved the drawer closed and approched him again. "How much time do you have before you have to leave?" she asked. They'd just gone on that long car ride, meaning hours without snuggling. Hours!! How they survived was beyond her.

* * *

"I dunno. A while. I need to relax after nine hours of driving." She got to fidget or sleep or at least close her eyes. He had to pay attention. "It's...what, around four or something? I can stay until five thirty or six." Get to his parents' house around dinner time. Eat, establish what the real scenario was, then let Melissa take over the night shift. He'd have to be there for a while Saturday, but she could entertain herself for a few hours, right?

* * *

"Perfect," Cha-Cha grinned, pulling him towards the bed with her. He needed time to unwind, like he said. So did she. She just wanted to lie with him for a bit, that was all. Anything else that happened was purely coincidental. Indeed it was. Plopping down on the bed, she stretched out, patting the other side. "See? Even the ceiling is nicer," she noted with a giggle.

* * *

Ed followed, lining his body up with hers once he'd laid down too. "If I fall asleep, wake me at six." Ed on a bed, not instigating something? There's a new one. But he was too tired and too worried about the approaching father-son meeting to let his hands travel.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, her arms wrapping around him gently. While she wouldn't mind getting up and doing something after nine hours, this was okay too. It was hard to really get too close in a car. "You're sure you don't want me coming with you?" she made sure. If it would make him feel better about it, she'd consider it.

* * *

He wanted her to come to show his dad that no matter what he did Cha-Cha was always going to be in the picture. But on the other hand, was that entirely true? He couldn't control whether or not his family would scare her. But then again they were in another state, it wouldn't matter if this didn't go well, she'd just never see them again. But... Ed's mind kept going back and forth.

"I don't know. I could go either way." He needed to decide eventually. She came all the way here, wasn't that enough? ...You know, since she came all the way, she might as well just do the whole thing with him. There he goes again.

"I think...you should stay here. At least tonight. They'll be thrilled enough with just me."

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, her hand rubbing up and down his side gently. She wanted the visit to be as stress free as possible, for both of them. If her being there would make things worse, than she shouldn't go. He was a big boy, he could handle it without her, right? "I'll be here when you get back then. Right where you left me," she promised, her hand moving to rest on his chest.

* * *

"Good. But between my departure and my return, feel free to move around the hotel," he smiled. Didn't want her to be bored. Which made him wonder if she'd like to do something now. She'd almost gone crazy in the car, and now he was having her sit still again. "Do you want to do something?" he asked, dreading an agreement and having to get up.

* * *

"I thought we were doing something," Cha-Cha mumbled. It wasn't anything particularily active, but it was better than just...sitting. Besides, this energized her more than he thought it did. But since he suggested something, she propped herself up on to her side. "Do something like what?"

* * *

Ed grinned. Well if she was happy here... He moved closer, pushing her back down to use her as a pillow. "Never mind."

* * *

Giggling, Cha-Cha ran a hand through his hair. "Oh no, make yourself comfortable. Really. I don't mind," she teased, the hand carressing the back of his neck. He was bigger than her, wasn't this supposed to go the other way? So he was the pillow? Not that she minded or anything.

* * *

"I will." Ed stayed put. For a while anyway. Eventually he moved off of her, snuggling until he finally rolled over to see it was time for him to get up. Talk to an angry father, stay here and play? Hmm. The obvious choice was the latter. Still, he grunted and mumbled "I need to get going."

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, "Already?" With a grunt she got herself up, heading over to the dresser. She wished she had more time with him. But he'd be back eventually, right? This was something he had to do. "What time do you think you'll be back tonight?" she asked, pulling out her sarong. No use wasting the day.

* * *

Ed changed into something a little nicer looking than what he'd thrown on for the car ride down. "I'm not sure. Melissa is coming to stay the night, so whenever she gets there and I think I'm free to go. Tonight's really just saying hi and seeing what I'm up against. See if broken leg means sprained ankle. That type of thing." Oh, and she'd probably come up in conversation too.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, pulling out her bathing suit and laying it on the bed. She'd change after. She didn't want to distract him when he had to leave. "You look good," she commented. While she was used to seeing him all dressed up, for work and casually, it was still extremely appealing.

* * *

Ed sat on the bed, putting his shoes on. Noticing what was beside him, he said "I appreciate you waiting." She was pushing irresistible as it was. No need to tease him further. With the knowledge of what he'd be missing sinking in, he shoved his shoe on with a small sigh. After he stood he moved to hug her goodbye.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled, her arms wrapping around his neck. It was going to be boring without him, even with the beach beside them. Who was she going to talk to? Somebody had to appreciate her beach body. "When you get back, I'm all yours," she promised in his ear, kissing it gently. Okay...she could wait a few hours. Really. Hopefully.

* * *

"I miss you already," he laughed. Kissing her farewell and heading for the door, he wondered if Melissa would be nice and get there early. She knew he didn't want to go, right?

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, walking to the door with him. "Bye baby." Shutting the door, she turned to get dressed. While she wasn't sure how exciting it would really be without him, it was more fun than staying cooped up in their room. That really would only be fun with him there.

* * *

Ed's late afternoon and evening wouldn't be as enjoyable as playing on the beach. He got a grunted 'Hello' and things went downhill from there. And he thought it was strange to be glad to see his mothers leg in a cast. But that meant they were there for a real problem, and not a fake one. Unless that leg was just fine underneath that. Or she was pushed. But he wasn't suspicious...

His walls went up quickly. After a month away from work and so much time with Cha-Cha, he almost forgot what an asshole he could be. But that street sarcasm and toughness came back instantly. The same personality that was used for interrogating suspects. Indifferent. Almost cold. And driving back to the hotel he was fuming too much to really calm himself down.

* * *

While Ed was missed dearly, Cha-Cha couldn't lie and say she had a boring afternoon. To be honest, it was great. She spent the first hour or so on her own, but it got unenjoyable. Too many screaming kids, one too many she was scarring with her half naked appearence. Cha-Cha de los Santos Perez Cueva, however, rarely stayed on her own for long. It was always helpful when there was another attractive man on the beach. And he was alone.

She wasn't looking to cheat on Ed. That was the last thing she wanted. But she was lonely, and bored, and needed a friend. So what if he good looking? As luck would have it, anyway, he was in a relationship too. On some business trip, wanted to let loose after a long meeting. Could you blame a man? All they did was talk.

"My boyfriend's gonna be back soon," Cha-Cha thought out loud to Carl as they finished up dinner. She'd told him about Ed, he'd told her about Tommy. They ended up waiting in the lobby, so Cha-Cha could catch Ed as he came in, and he could meet Carl. Her new best friend, who Cha-Cha would never think to call again after their trip. Cha-Cha had alot of those.

"One chair," Carl pointed out as they headed into the lobby. He swooped in and grabbed it before the queen with him could.

"Oh, nice," she rolled her eyes with a giggle. Sighing, the man patted his lap. Cha-Cha sat down without any hesitation. If he saw fit to take the very last chair from a lady, then she'd just have to sit on him. Fair was fair.

* * *

The forty-five minute drive was enough for him to lose the 'I wish I had my gun with me' mood. Not quite long enough to lose the pissed off vibe. He told himself this was an unacceptable way to return to Cha-Cha. Didn't do much.

Ed entered the lobby, and his eyes found his girl quickly. Well isn't this nice. He crossed his arms. This was doing nothing for his attitude. "This is exactly what I wanted to come back and see." Oh, not a happy camper.

* * *

Cha-Cha didn't notice Ed's mood at first, too busy laughing at something Carl had said. As soon as it registered, though, her butt was out of the other man's lap. "Hi baby," she greeted him, trying to keep that smile intact. She convinced herself he was just mad from the visit. She wasn't doing anything wrong, why would he be pissed at her?

* * *

Though he had planned on pouncing on her the second he found her, now his arms stayed crossed. "Hi." An emotionless greeting. His eyes drifted to the man and then back to her. "Well I'm glad you didn't get lonely, darling."

* * *

What was that tone for? The smile was slowly disappearing off of Cha-Cha's face. So what if she made a friend? Would he have preferred she's been lonely? "Thank you, Ed," she responded, ignoring the sarcasm. Looking back at her still-sitting friend, she shook her head. "Y'know Carl, if it's all the same to you, I think we should probably head off," she decided. Ed was in a bad mood. This wasn't the right time for them to meet and hit it off.

* * *

As far as Ed was concerned, she and Carl could head off one way, he'd go another. Any other day he might have just asked who this stranger was. Not thrilled at first, but once she explained their day he'd be fine. She was a natural at making friends.

But not today. "You do that. I'm going to the room." Ed started for the elevators. He wanted to yell at the guy, but he wasn't the one on her. How did Ed know if the man had even been aware she was taken?

* * *

"What--" Cha-Cha uttered a hasty goodbye to Carl, hurrying after her boyfriend. "Where are you going? I meant you and I should head off. _Together_, doofus," she tried to smile at him. She figured teasing him would do one of two things; make him smile or piss him off further. She was really, really hoping for the former.

* * *

Wrong. Latter won. "Don't...even start with me." Joking around was not what he wanted to do right now. He realized he left a man in love and had come back oozing anger. But he didn't care. All he was thinking about was how he'd left her in the hotel room. Not full blown in the mood, but it only would have taken a few caresses in the right place. He didn't really think she'd allow any stranger the chance to find those places in the few hours he was gone, honestly he didn't, but he didn't think sitting on anyone would have happened either.

* * *

Cha-Cha stepped onto the elevator quickly when the doors opened. She wouldn't put it past him to close them in her face, the way he was acting at the moment. "What is wrong with you?" she asked, her strained smile vanished without a trace, a hurt expression replacing it.

* * *

Ed entertained the idea of not getting on. Take the stairs. But he wanted to argue. He'd been doing it all day, why stop now? "Excuse me for not being happy to find you sitting on...Carl. And don't puppy eye me, Cha-Cha," he said, noticing her pained look. Any minute the huge round eyes would come.

* * *

Cha-Cha watched him, staying silent as she processed it for a moment. That was why he was upset? "Hon...he's a friend and there was only one chair. That's the only reason you even saw that," she told him slowly. Her stomach hurt. A week ago, he would never have even thought that way. And he'd never treat her the way he was...

But he didn't know everything a week ago. And in the car, he'd promised his opinion on her hadn't changed. The stomach ache got worse.

* * *

His opinion hadn't changed in the car at all. He hadn't had a reason to not trust her. And even now, the most he thought had happened was just sitting on the mans' lap. But that was enough tonight. "I assumed he was a friend, even _you_ don't move that fast. But that doesn't mean I want to spend two hours telling my father how madly in love with you I am and then come back here and find you on his lap. Not to mention five hours after you tell me you cheated on a man who loved you before. I honestly don't think you did, but the timing of this still fucking sucks."

* * *

"Yeah, and I _promised_ you in the car that I would never do it to you," Cha-Cha countered, trying to keep her calm. It wasn't working to easily. Okay, he was upset about his father. Understandable. But she was supposed to be making him feel better right now--and he was going to hold this against her? She wasn't convinced he wasn't looking at her differently. Not by a long shot. "Fine. I'm sorry I was sitting on Carl. I really am," she replied after a pause, after her temper had gone down enough for her to not lash out.

* * *

Ed punched the number for their floor for the fifth time, well aware that would not get them there any faster. "Well of course you are _now_." She'd been caught. You were always sorry when you were caught. Never sorry while you're doing it.

The elevator really needed to get a move on. He was trapped with her. Not that he'd get away from her in the room anyway. Unless he locked himself in the bathroom. Or locked her it. Either way.

* * *

"I'm sorry when I do anything that hurts you," Cha-Cha responded. No, she wasn't sorry at the time. She didn't realize it would set him off. It shouldn't have set him off. But it did, and now she was sorry she did it. Simple as that. "Apparently you don't feel the same way," she couldn't help but add.

* * *

"Don't give me that," he snapped, relieved they'd reached their floor. Out of habit he stepped off and waited for her. "I felt horrible about the stuff that happened last month. And I didn't yell at you as much as I wanted to because I didn't want to upset you anymore. And I figured if I gave it a day or two I wouldn't want to anymore anyway." He hadn't made a huge deal out of her talking to Lennie. Though it crossed his mind often. "Now I have to go back to my parents house tomorrow, and I'll be worried how many friends your making."

* * *

"Friends, Ed! If you don't think I'd cheat on you, why does it matter how many friends I make?" It confused her to no end, and didn't support his argument that he trusted her. He wouldn't be acting this way if she'd met a woman, or another queen. "And, you know, Carl has a boyfriend too. Nothing was going to happen. It wouldn't even if he were single,_ I wouldn't let it_," she walked as she talked to him, trying to keep her cool. At least slightly.

* * *

"Because if that's what you're going to be doing with your friends, it does matter." He reached their room and swiped the card to unlock to door. "I believe nothing would have happened, Cha-Cha, it's just..." He sighed, frustrated. This is what he got for dating a flirt. "I don't want a stranger touching you. Yeah you knew him for a few hours, but so what? _A few hours_?" That wasn't enough.

* * *

Touching her? "What are you talking about? Honey, I get 'touched' worse at a show. You wanna make me give that up now?" she countered. It wasn't uncommon for the queens to go into the audience, interact with the people. Hands brushed sometimes, men were suggestive, it happened. "But the only person I wanna get touched by is you. Are you honestly this upset that I was perched on someone's knee?" she asked incredulously. She wasn't even that close to Carl, a good amount of space between her back and his chest. She was practically closer to Ed at the present moment.

* * *

Perched on a knee. Looked at. Thought about. All of the above would bother him right now.

He went in, not holding the door open as politely as he normally did. More like a 'Get in here already the door's heavy'. "Cha-Cha, you're gorgeous. You _know_ that. You know men want you. I'm not worried about something you might do, but I do worry about something they might do. I don't even like the idea of someone looking at you the wrong way, but you're a dancer, you're going to be seen, I get that. So I don't say anything." He couldn't stop someone in the audience from lusting after her.

* * *

"If it's not me you're worried about, why is it me you're yelling at?" Cha-Cha was beyond frustrated, walking into the room. He knew she'd be good, but he was angry at her. It was her admirers that upset him, but she got the blunt of it. How did this work? "I didn't try to hurt you. I never try to hurt you. What do you want, Ed?"

* * *

"I want to stay in our apartment together twenty-four seven. But that isn't realistic. So I don't know." He fell onto the bed. As for why he was yelling at her, it was so many things rolled into another he wasn't even sure. "I'm yelling because I don't know what else to do. I'm tired. I drove nine hours. I saw my parents. We fought. Dad ended up threatening to make me chose between them and you and I told him that was the easiest decision I'd been faced with all day and that if he wanted an answer then I'd be happy to give it to him and now I don't know if I'm welcome there tomorrow and I find you with Carl." How was your day?

* * *

Dammit. He always made it impossible to stay mad. Sighing deeply, she sat on the bed beside him. "I'm sorry, Ed. I really, really mean it," she said quietly. She should've known that couldn't be the only reason he was upset. What she did wasn't worthy of yelling and swearing and shutting her out. She should have known. And she probably should've realized what she was doing, and how he would take it. Obviously he was going to be a little on edge. He'd want her to comfort him, and that's what he saw? She understood now.

* * *

Part of him wanted to say 'Im sorry too'. She didn't know what had happened today. Might still not. Yeah, he'd just told her now but he'd been talking so fast had she understood everything? While Ed hadn't flat out said he'd take her over them, it was strongly implied. He doubted he'd ever really be forced to give up one. His mother wouldn't let him just disappear. But his father wasn't happy that in a hypothetical situation his son would be back in New York. And he wouldn't want to see him anytime soon.

With that in mind, finding her on someone elses lap had made him momentarily panic. Made him think for a moment he may have just lost both. But he knew Cha-Cha wouldn't do that to him. So it had only lasted a second. But that didn't mean he wouldn't let panic turn into anger. And now the other part of him wanted to kick her off the bed.

* * *

She had no idea how to take his silence, so for the time being returned it. It was more understandable now, why he was angry. Not really justified in her opinion, but if he dropped it then and there she wouldn't be angry. The timing did suck, she could agree that much. But all in all, what she did wasn't really worth his anger. But if he blew it out of proportion because of his father...she could forgive him for that.

"Are you still mad at me?" she asked hesitantly, resisting the urge to touch his arm or something. If he shook her off, she wouldn't be able to take it.

* * *

"Yes." He rolled over to face the wall. He didn't really think she deserved it either. But he wanted to be mad for awhile. Yes the point of her coming was to make him feel better. Off to a bad start. But not intentionally by her.

* * *

Cha-Cha stared at his back, her mouth opening a few times. "Why?" she asked finally, feeling genuinely hurt. After she'd apologized? After...everything? What had she even actually done wrong? "You're mad at your dad...what is holding a grudge against me gonna do?"

* * *

"I don't know," he admitted. Something had to come out of it. Good or bad he couldn't say. He just knew that he had to stay angry. He was afraid what would happen if he didn't. What if he couldn't just shrug off what his dad said and he got emotional? His dad would have won. If he was angry he'd keep thinking up sarcastic comments to what had been said to him. That was better.

* * *

Cha-Cha gawked, shaking her head. If he had no reason...why was he staying angry? How was that anywhere near fair to her? She was at a loss for words, nothing she could think of to say would make it better. What could you say to someone who was mad at you for no reason? What could you even do? On the verge of tears, she started climbing off the bed. "I'm gonna...gonna shower or something," she told him weakly, swallowing thickly against the threatening tears. She just needed to be away from him at the moment.

* * *

Ed almost stopped her. He was being a jerk. But he couldn't find the motivation to move. Her voice should have been it, but he was in his own place.

He waited for her to round the corner to the bathroom before he rolled onto his back again. He stared at the ceiling. It really was better than your average motel ceiling. Weird wallpaper on it. He didn't know why the ceiling was making his eyes water. What, it had to be that, right? Why else would he be blinking quickly? He really ought to wait for her to start the shower. And he needed to stop thinking about his evening. And that design that he must be allergic to, because he really didn't need watering eyes right now.

* * *

If Cha-Cha could look through walls, she would've come back immediately. But she was in her own place too, completely frustrated and confused and most of all depressed by his anger. She thought better of a shower; crying in the shower was so cliche. Instead she washed her face, trying to make her red eyes less obvious.

It was a good fifteen, twenty minutes before she emerged, her crying done but still just as upset.

* * *

Ed was still on his back, staring at the ceiling. He felt just as crummy as she did. Worse, maybe, because it was his fault she was upset. He'd grabbed a pillow a while ago and was hugging it. Silly, maybe, but he needed to squeeze something that wouldn't yelp in pain.

He'd noticed she hadn't gone in the shower. Knew that she was probably crying behind the wall. He had no way to tell when she was coming back. His eyes locked with hers for a moment. Then he rolled over again. Just hoped the moisture that had suddenly appeared in select areas around his eyes would be wiped off by the pillow case.

* * *

Cha-Cha wasn't sure, but she thought she saw tears around Ed's eyes. That couldn't be right, though, was it? She'd never seen him cry before. Thought she never would. He was turned away from her before she could ponder it further, though, prompting a deep sigh from her.

"So you're just not gonna talk to me for the rest of the night?" she asked, willing herself not to cry again. She just got through all that. "For the rest of the trip, Ed?"

* * *

Ed swallowed hard before he tried talking. The last thing he needed was to be emotional. So she wanted to talk, huh? "How's the weather?" he asked, sounding utterly pathetic. Great. Thank you, vocal chords. That didn't make it obvious he was sorry at all.

* * *

Cha-Cha watched him carefully, or as well as she could watch his back. It was hard to tell, but...he didn't sound too happy. And not angry, either. "Fine," she replied slowly, sitting back on the bed. What did that have to do with anything? Was he still angry? Was she angry?

She wanted as little drama as possible. She wanted to do what she was supposed to be doing; comforting him after his father ripped him apart. Putting him back together. She took a chance, reaching over to gently stroke the back of his neck and hair.

* * *

Ed instinctively moved to swat her away, but luckily he had enough sense not to. Instead his hand grabbed her wrist, and again he knew not to grab her roughly. But then he didn't know what to do after that, and he had to have rolled onto his back to complete the quick movement. So he was stuck with her in his hand, looking at her.

His hand moved down hers to interlock fingers.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, squeezing his hand. She knew he couldn't stay mad at her forever. Now that he was facing her again, she couldn't help but notice she'd been right. He'd...he'd at least been tearing up, if not full out crying. Any remains of anger she had started to melt away. She didn't comment on the tears. "I'm supposed to be making you feel better, baby. You're making it hard," she told him with a light smile.

* * *

"It's easier to be angry." Than to admit that he sort of would like it if his dad appreciated him more. That he'd like the war to break out after forty-five minutes, not four or five. Staying mad prevented him from feeling sad or depressed. Work himself into a rage and there was no chance of tearing. Not that he had or anything. He'd think of a reason for the water later.

* * *

"Can you try not to be mad at me, though? When I've apologized to you fifty times? I'm on your side, Ed, I love you," Cha-Cha reminded him softly, laying herself down to be level with him. She didn't like fighting with him any time, especially when there was essentially no reason. "For the last time, Ed, I'm sorry." She meant it. Whether he had a reason to be mad or not, she didn't want to cause him any more hurt.

* * *

"I know..." He knew she was. He was sorry too, but didn't say it aloud. "I just...I mean it got..." If Melissa hadn't shown up and made Ed leave, he'd probably still be there shouting. It never gets that bad the first day. Why did it this time? Yeah maybe Cha-Cha came up early on, they'd argued about dates before. "I love you too," he decided to say instead of describing the mess.

* * *

Cha-Cha could imagine. She let go of his hand, only to open her arms, to hold him if he wanted her to. "Can I comfort you now?" she asked quietly. He didn't seem to be mad anymore. She wasn't. He didn't have to talk if he didn't want to, but she wanted him to feel better.

* * *

Ed scooted over to and into her arms. He was still killing that poor pillow with one hand. Didn't want to bruise Cha-Cha by trying to hold her instead. He snuggled against her, finding a comfortable spot after a while and staying there. "I don't want to have sex tonight," he said bluntly. This was all he needed for the moment. And probably all he was up to after the nights events. "I know we're in a great hotel and you're practically supposed to..."

* * *

"It's okay," Cha-Cha assured him, rubbing his back. She could understand that. Whatever he needed to feel better, that was what they were focusing on. She'd follow his lead until she knew what sort of mood he truly was in. "What do you want to do?"

* * *

"Lay here for a while," he answered. He kissed her briefly. Lay here and love her. Without actually _loving_ her. At least that was what he wanted at the moment.

* * *

Cha-Cha rubbed the back of his neck gently, scooting closer to him. Whatever mood he was in, he saw fit to kiss her. "I guess you're not mad anymore," she said quietly after a few minutes. Or at least, not at her. But it was time to put the Carl thing to rest now, wasn't it? She'd probably never see the man again. She definitely wasn't tring to hurt him.

* * *

She was right, not mad at her. And even dad was wearing off. Letting his father upset him this much was just letting him win, right? Ed wasn't supposed to care.

"Mmm." For some reason he wouldn't give her a straight 'Yes, I am not mad anymore'. But he moved in to kiss her neck, so it was pretty clear that noise meant yes. He slowly moved a hand under her shirt to touch her skin. Touch her. And he relished the fact that he was the only one allowed to do so. But he went slowly, because even with all the stuff going through his head he remembered the last time he'd tried to start something when he was mad. He'd promised not to do that again. His lips moved to her shoulder as he asked himself how he felt. He wasn't angry. Just exasperated, but that was fading.

* * *

Cha-Cha kept one hand on his back, the other tilting his chin up so she could kiss him. She was supposed to be making him feel better, not the other way around. And besides, she really was fine as long as he'd stoped yelling at her. Which seemed to be the case. Though she still walked on eggshells a bit, thinking things out before saying them. She was going to ask how the visit was, but thought better of that one quickly.

"Do you want to talk?" she asked finally. Maybe he'd be more open to the idea if it was on his terms.

* * *

Ed moved off of her, resting his head on the pillow. His hand had to move, so he settled for playing with the arm closest to him. "Sure." It could help. "But I don't know where to start. Could you ask a question and I go from there?" She had permission to pry.

* * *

Cha-Cha thought about it, considering what would probably be the least painful to talk about. "How's your mom?"she asked, shifting to lay on her stomach. Start with mother, work their way to his dad. Seemed like a good progression.

* * *

"Fine. Me coming here was really pointless. Like I tried to tell them." He'd spent the time eating dinner, mostly. And it wasn't like she couldn't move her arms. After she hobbled to the living room to talk. He didn't have to help her, and even if she needed help, there was dad. "I guess mom just wanted a visit and figured it was the only way to get me to come. Which was true. But still." He sighed. "She had to have known it would bug me."

* * *

"Well it's good she's not hurt, I guess. Did you have a nice time with her?" Cha-Cha asked softly. Ed had a better relationship with his mother than his father, she knew, but wasn't sure if it was possible to have a good visit with either of them. Even if it was possible, it was obviously overshadowed by the bad one with the father.

* * *

"Yeah, it was alright. We didn't talk about anything important. We never do." Weather. Movies. The past. Never about what Ed was currently doing. Actually, "well, she was happy to hear I lost my job. More interested in the details of that than any case I ever had. She tried to make it sound like she was trying to make sense of it, like 'How in the world could that happen?', but I felt an 'I told you so' vibe."

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded. They didn't want him to be a detective, right? No wonder they were happy. "Did you guys talk about the future?" she asked. It was Ed's mother who's wanted him to work for his father. But if the visit went as bad as it seemed to, she could imagine that wouldn't be happening.

* * *

"She's got her heart set on me coming back here for good." He imitated her perfectly, though Cha-Cha wouldn't have known if he was completely off: "'You have little left up there. Your reputation is ruined. Who besides your father will touch you after a murder charge?' Obviously she doesn't know you only have to inform potential employers if you were convicted."

* * *

"What about your father?" Cha-Cha asked softly, hoping it wasn't too soon to get into it. "I mean...how is he?" Shifting close to him again, she prepared herself to deal with him if the topic depressed him. She didn't mind comforting him though, and slowly wrapped her arms around him again, shifting back onto her side.

* * *

"He's the same. Pissed off. He didn't even give me a friendly hello this time. Probably still mad I suggested he pushed mom. Which still hasn't been proven true or false." Though he really didn't believe that. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. What to say about his father. That wouldn't scare her. Or insult her. "He...is...not getting any better as the years go by." So much for thinking he needed time. Though it had been twenty years. Ed should have given up hope by now.

* * *

"They rarely do," Cha-Cha admitted with a frown. It seemed the older somebody got, the more set in their ways they became. It was hard to find an old guy that approved of her in anyway. Not 'old' like Ed, but anybody over sixty-five. It took her a minute to ask another question, stuck on what to say. She didn't want to make him talk about anything too painful. Unless he wanted to. "What did he say? If you wanna tell me," she added, giving him an out.

* * *

He did want to talk about it. But he wasn't sure how to tell her parts of it. Or even if she should. "We did the losing the job thing, the suspecting him thing, what a disappointment I am...then we talked about each disappointment you individually." There. He'd said 'you' but she may not have noticed. But he told her everything.

* * *

Cha-Cha had thought she caught a 'you', but shrugged it off and didn't comment. Of course she figured she'd come up. She'd probably be considered one of the ways he'd disappointed his father. It wasn't a surprise. "What a jerk," she mumbled, watching his reaction carefully. If her insulting his father would make him feel better at all, she could do that.

* * *

He nodded. Couldn't agree more. "It got uncalled for too fast. Normally this conversation would have happened on...Sunday or something. Not when I just get here."

* * *

Cha-Cha brought her hand up and down his back slowly, urging him to continue. She knew bad things were probably said about...well, about everything. But about her too, and their relationship. She wouldn't be offended...too much. A little bit naturally, but as long as Ed didn't think so, did it matter? It was his opinion that concerned her.

* * *

Ed knew she waiting, and knew Cha-Cha was aware it had been about her. But he didn't want to repeat it. And he'd yelled over half of it anyway. "I'd rather you not know exactly what he said. I'm sure you can imagine." Not fun. But he also wasn't sure about the next part. "I sorta lost it. I don't think I'm as bad as him, but we both didn't hold back. I don't mean to be overprotective, hun," he said, face falling a little. He'd been defending her but thought he should apologize anyway, after her seeing his first freak out about her. "I try not to." He was mainly terrified that he did have part of that temper in him. But it was only something his father could bring out. "I don't want to be anything like him..." he added.

* * *

What? "You're not _anything_ like him," Cha-Cha replied in surprise. How could he even think...? That was ridiculous. "No way. You're amazing Ed. You're sweet, and kind and...calm, even when I probably deserve to be yelled at," he barely reacted when she told him about the Lennie thing. He'd forgiven her easily. Forget about tonight, his tension was already high tonight. Could she really blame him for blowing up? "He's...not. You're nothing like him. You're better."

* * *

It was relieving to hear her say that. Wanted to believe it. But he still had his doubts. "I'm better at hiding it. Obviously it's in me. Because you didn't deserve it tonight, but I didn't care. Well I mean I did but I couldn't stop myself. Typical Green behavior."

* * *

"You were already upset tonight. Obviously something like that was gonna set you off. I shouldn't have even been with him," Cha-Cha added, doing all she could to make him feel better. "But it's like you said...there were so many times, during the rest and everything, so many times where you could've yelled at me and I probably would've deserved it. But you didn't, because you loved me and didn't wanna upset me more. Would he do that?" she reminded him hopefully. She didn't like hearing him compare himself to his father. Not when she knew he was so much better.

* * *

She had a point. "No," he agreed. If there had been talking behind his fathers back, a simple 'Well you were trying to help' wouldn't have been what he had to say. "But I just...lost it at the house. Normally he'll meet the guy and find something he doesn't like and blow it out of proportion and we'll argue a little and I'll leave. Not too upset either, because it's actually something that I noticed about the guy too but I just didn't really mind. But he hasn't met you. He just assumed he knew what was wrong with you. When there's nothing wrong with you." He could probably think of a little thing she did that bugged him, but that wasn't the point right now. "And if Melissa hadn't come and kicked me out I'd probably still be there yelling. That isn't like me."

* * *

"See? It's not like you," Cha-Cha mumbled, forcing herself not to ask what had been said about her. She was really oddly curious, but if he didn't want to say...if he thought it would offend her, she wouldn't pressure him. "I know who you are by now. It's been close to a year. I know that comparing yourself to him isn't giving yourself enough credit. So you get mad when you're angry...I've only ever really seen it happen this once. And you were provoked. So don't worry about being like him."

* * *

He sighed again. No doubt he'd been provoked. Ed didn't know what else to say. He danced fingers slowly along her side until he thought of something.

* * *

Cha-Cha moved her hand to tough the back of his neck, run along his cheek. "And I love you," she added for good measure. Just to make sure he knew. Even though they fought. It would take alot more than that to make her stop.

* * *

"I love you too much. Too," he corrected. "I love you too." If he told her something that scared her, could he take it back? He'd ask, but then she'd want to know, and if he couldn't take back, great job genius. You can't 'unhear' something, but he'd mean...don't think about it. He wasn't sure she could do that. So he just laid there, looking at her. Appreciative that she was there and they were here and he wasn't stuck in the guest room at home.

* * *

"You love me too much?" Cha-Cha asked with raised eyebrows. "Is that even possible?" she teased.

* * *

Actually, it just might be. But he'd go with he had just misspoken. Well he had. Okay stop thinking about it already. "I guess not," he smiled. If she forgot the choice his dad gave him, he wouldn't remind her. He loved her a nice, average, normal amount. Nothing intimidating. Just dandy.

* * *

Cha-Cha let her hand play over the side of his face, watching him carefully. Yeah, right. "What's the matter?" she asked softly. She could always tell when he was upset. When he wasn't telling her something. It was amazing, how well you know someone after almost a year. "What's going on?"

* * *

"I just explained it," he said. This might be one of those things that scared her. This might be something she'd be flattered about. He didn't know. Didn't want to risk it, either.

* * *

"Being like your father?" Cha-Cha guessed, her forehead wrinkling. "Being overprotective? Just tell me, hon." Whatever it was, just out with it. Even if he did think it would scare her. What could honestly be so bad?

* * *

"Tell you what? I did tell you. He and I argued about us," he said, motioning to the two of them. He didn't like how she picked up on these things.

* * *

Cha-Cha watched him. "Then tell me what you're not telling me, and what you're making a point of not telling me. Cause I know there's something." She'd known him too long, and honestly, he'd kept too many things from her. She knew the look by now. "I promise I won't be mad or sad, or...anything you think I'll be."

* * *

Oh, now he had a look? He sighed. "It's really not that important. Dad just gave me a...sort of hypothetical choice. If I kept up what I'm doing and all. Got him mad enough. If I could only have one, them or you, which would I chose? And I told him that if he seriously wanted an an answer to that I'd give it to right then, but he wouldn't be happy with it." Well, hey, it wasn't asking her to marry him after three months, right?

* * *

Cha-Cha watched him, still a little confused. So between his family and her...he chose her. Oh. He chose her? Well...he wasn't that close to his family, but...he chose her? They'd known each other for a year...but he'd known his father for nearly fourty. "So what does that mean?" she asked softly. Was he still allowed back at home then? He'd said earlier...wasn't sure if he was welcome. Was he sure he wanted to make that sort of decision? And...what did he want of her now? That...was huge. And he wouldn't have picked her if he didn't see a future for them. Of course she saw a future too, but...how fast was he expecting for them to move? Was this supposed to be an accelerator?

* * *

"It means I've scared you, apparently," he said, noticing her eyes widening. He should have just kept saying 'I already told you'. "It means nothing's changed. It was hypothetical. I'm going back there tomorrow and it'll be business as usual. He's always mad at me. Just forget I said anything, sweetheart, we're exactly how we were yesterday."

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded slowly, and hoped he meant that. Normalcy was ideal. Over time she'd be able to take bigger leaps with him, make stronger, more final commitments. But at the moment she was good where they were. She was comfortable. As for his family...she didn't want to be the reason he lost contact with them. "Yeah, you go back tomorrow. Somehow I doubt your mom would turn you away."

* * *

Even if it was a serious decision, it wouldn't be her fault. It was his father making him choose. "Exactly." He kissed her briefly. "So no worries."  


* * *

Cha-Cha returned the kiss, nodding again. As long as he didn't want any overnight changes from her, she'd be fine. No engagement after three months. Well, it had been over three months. But...she wasn't ready for something that big yet. Someday...probably. If he could wait though, then there would be no problems.

* * *

He'd wait as long as it took. She didn't have to tell him she wasn't ready, he already knew. Hence trying to change subject. But now she knew, so at least any possible questions of unfaithfulness that sometimes arise between lovers would be crushed when she remembered this?

* * *

Cha-Cha kissed his neck, holding him closer. "You tired?" she mumbled. If they were done talking. He'd driven so much that day, and he'd been so upset, she couldn't see how he wouldn't be. "Bedtime?"

* * *

"I think so..." Sleep would be good. He really needed it. The day had taken a lot out of him.

The side he was on was getting tingly, so he rolled to his back. Looping an arm around her hip, he tugged her as close as he could.

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned, running a hand down his chest. "Baby...can I brush my teeth and everything?" she teased. Not that she could blame him for just rolling over. She was ridiculously comfy.

* * *

"No, you'll live one night." Damn a light was still on. It was within reach of the bed, but still required movement. With a grunt he stretched and swatted it off.

* * *

At least she'd washed her face before, when she'd gone for her shower. "Ew!" she laughed. "But my teeth are all gross..." she complained. But it wasn't a very convincing argument, as her head was back down against his chest within a couple of minutes. Neither of them had changed, either. Oh well. 


	22. Sandcastles

Ed is played by BOWIEgirl. Cha-Cha played by Operatic.

* * *

Sandcastles

Cha-Cha was going to play in the sand that day. Standing at the window, she watched the morning lovers go out for a swim. She'd gone swimming, though. She didn't make him stop at Target on the way for nothing. With a shovel and pail, she was so ready to make a masterpiece.

She was going to miss her man though. It wouldn't be as good without him. "What time are you leaving?" she asked, finally tearing her eyes from the view of the ocean.

* * *

Ed was examining himself in the mirror. "About an hour, I suppose. I said I'd be there at least by lunch." Not fancy, but not jeans and a t-shirt either.

Walking around to sit on the bed, he put his shoes on. "Heading for the beach?" he asked. "I'm jealous."

* * *

"I know. I wish you were coming with me," Cha-Cha admitted. She moved to stand in front of him, taking his hand. "Will you be back earlier, do you think?" Maybe it was possible they'd catch some daylight together. He'd see her sandcastle.

* * *

"Yeah, I couldn't do a whole day there. Back by dinner, probably sooner." He stood, looking for sunglasses, squeezing her hand before letting go to retrieve them from the other side of the room.

He really was not looking forward to this at all. Melissa would leave when he got there. She had stayed the night, and had plans to visit friends while she was in town. Dad was mad and ready to fight, most likely. Mom was depressed about the arguing but vaguely got in the middle of it. And if she did it was to say 'Edward, you shouldn't say that to your father'. 'Should he say this to me?' Ed would challenge. She'd look away and the men would continue.

* * *

"I wish you could just stay," Cha-Cha admitted, watching him go. She got the feeling he felt the same way. But he had to go, and she knew that. That was the reason they were there. Not the beach.

* * *

"Me too. But, duty calls..." Sigh. He probably sighed more this weekend than normal breathing. "Call if you need me for anything. And like I said, if you're seriously bored, I'll come back. But wait more than ten seconds before deciding that," he smiled. He'd be out and in within the hour if she could call whenever she wanted. "You know, give it half an hour. You'll most likely find something to do. There's always window shopping."

* * *

"I'm making a sand castle today," Cha-Cha informed him. It really wouldn't be fun without him though. Hey... "How about this. Fourty five minutes after you get there, you get a...text message or something and have to leave? Then just find me on the beach. I wanna get out there and start, but I need help from a lovely male assistant from the audience..." she batted her eyes at him.

* * *

He smiled. "First of all, how are you going to text me? Second, that fast?" He should be there a little longer, right? Although just staying there forty-five minutes, with driving included, was already over two hours away from her... "If you can, check how I'm doing. But I at least need to do lunch with them."

* * *

"Nah nah, it wouldn't be a real text. I'd say a phone call, but then you'd have to do a fake ring and everything. Just pretend," she shrugged. Sighing, she nodded. "Fine. But...whenever you want to come home. They don't know I don't have a text...messager thing."

* * *

He liked how she said home even though they were miles from New York. Because home had to mean her. "As soon as I can," he promised. No intention of staying longer than he had to. "And you can really call if you need to. Or just want to."

* * *

"I will," Cha-Cha promised. Trust her, she would. Sighing, she opened her arms for a hug before he had to go. "And I promise I won't sit on anybody's lap this time," she added softly.

* * *

Ed didn't say anything, embarrassed about blowing such a little thing out of proportion. He didn't like it, at all, but he didn't have to yell about it. "See you later," he said, kissing her goodbye.

* * *

It had been over an hour since Ed left, and Cha-Cha hadn't gone out yet. Having stolen some breakfast from the main floor and brought it up to their room, she realized how lonely it really was without him. It wouldn't be fun to go out alone.

He'd been gone for an hour and a half by the time she was finished, and she was ridiculously lonely. But...she could call now, right? He said to do it when she was lonely...and she was lonely...reaching over, she grabbed the phone off the hook, calling his cell.

* * *

"I don't think so," Ed was saying as he shook his head. "I don't have the time."

"But it's not even one, you've got all day," his mother insisted.

His father was out of the room, so he quickly explained the reason while the man couldn't hear. "I have to get back to our hotel before it's dark. Cha-Cha-" is making a sandcastle. And that's why he needed to ditch them early. "-shouldn't be alone all day, she's never been out of New York before." He didn't know if that was true or not.

"Edward," his mother said, trying to be as polite as possible, "what does that have to do with you leaving early?"

"New states can be scary."

"But how scary can a beach be?"

"I don't know, maybe she's seen Jaws." Green Sr returned and Ed hoped he didn't hear 'she's'. "I just don't have time for-" his pocket vibrated, distracting him. "Excuse me," he said, standing and leaving the table. Safe and alone in the living room he answered. "Hey hun."

* * *

"Hey baby," Cha-Cha beamed. She liked caller id. It was better than a boring 'hello' she got from everybody else. "How are things?" Also know as, how much more time do you have to spend before you can get away? Want to come home now and play on the beach with me?

* * *

"Better than expected, actually. It's kinda been just me and mom today. Of course it hasn't even been an hour yet." An hour and a half away from her was only forty five minutes with the parents. "Any second now," he said, rolling his eyes, "something's gonna set someone off."

"We're in the middle of lunch, Ed, is that an important call?"

"Yes, it is," he called back. "Sorry. Anyway, I think the shock of me back is wearing off. Be calm for a bit. Then I'll get annoying again."

* * *

"Is your dad there?" Cha-Cha asked. Well that was progress, if they were eating lunch together without fighting. Not talking, but not fighting either. Better than yesterday. "I was just...you know, wondering how things were going. How much progress we were making." Standing up, she walked from the bed over to the window. "There are these two kids outside making this sandcastle? It is huge, baby. And mine would be better of course, but you know, it's a two person job..." hint hint nudge nudge.

* * *

"Yeah he's here. Letting me talk without much interruption for once. But I can-"

"Your mother was in the middle of a sentence and you just walk off..." Ed heard grumbled loudly in the kitchen.

Ed called back in his defense, "_I_ was in the middle of a sentence." Nothing. "See, no one cares if it was me," he said, laughing a little to prevent being annoyed. "But like I was saying, it's going relatively well. I can come back after lunch, you know, leave on good terms." He could hear she was bored already. "I'll be back to play in the sand soon. And hopefully play around in the-"

"You talking to The Drag Queen?" his father asked, standing in the door. He had never used her name, and that was the kindest reference used so far. Ed rolled his eyes. "I thought you came down alone."

"Honey I gotta go, I'll see you later. Love you."

* * *

The Drag Queen? Oh, nice. Well, it was better than it could be, anyway. "Love you too. See you soon," she hung up, sighing. How soon, though? She missed him. Plus she didn't like the thought of him being trapped with his father. She'd rather him home.

* * *

Ed entered the kitchen again, walking past his dad in the doorway without looking at him. No, he would not be intimidated with him there. He would say 'honey' and 'love you' as much as he wanted. No matter how much the other man glared.

"Like I was saying, I don't have time for a tour of dad's company. Cha-Cha's waiting at the hotel." He'd told his mother she was coming, but took Melissa's advice and didn't mention her to his father. Well, he wouldn't have to fake sick and go home. He knew why Ed was leaving.

* * *

Another hour passed after the phonecall, and Cha-Cha was outside in the sand. She'd wanted to wait for him, but it was going to be another fourty five minutes after the call anyway. At least. Better not to waste time.

It was excruciatingly boring without him though. She'd made a few mini castles, and had written some things in the sand, but was otherwise unmotivated to start. At the moment she had her legs tucked at her side, her chin resting in her palm as she drew circles in the sand with a twig.

* * *

Ed arrived a little later. He'd only stayed a little over half an hour at the house after she'd called, but that damn drive...

He'd checked the room first, but hadn't really expected her to be there. Happy that meant she was out doing something and not wasting time, he went to explore the beach. After he found her, he fell into the sand beside her, saying "Sorry I'm late." He hadn't given a specific time, but he figured that anything longer than five minutes after hanging up was probably too long in her opinion.

* * *

Cha-Cha looked up from the sand, her who face brightening as she spotted him. "There's my man," she beamed, shifting over to kiss his cheek once he was sitting. And she was even alone this time! Which was fine with her, because she didn't want to get shared by anyone. Just him. Reaching down to check his watch, she tsked lightly. About twenty to two. They had alot of work to do. Before releasing his hand she put a pail in it, handing a shovel to him.

* * *

"I'm too old for this," he said, going along with it anyway. She was the boss this afternoon. "Oh," he said, telling her before he forgot, "I might have to go back later." Might as in yeah pretty much talked into returning for a late dinner.

* * *

Cha-Cha's face fell a bit, but tried to hide it. "When later? How much time do we have?" she asked, packing the sand into the pail and smoothing it with the underside of the shovel. She was packing it in probably rougher than she should'e been. But she thought they had all day now. "And for how long?"

* * *

"Hey, don't kill the sand," he said, holding her wrist gently. "Seven-ish. Around five hours. And for one hour." All three answered. "But that's only if I'm not dying of pneumonia that will miraculously disappear overnight." His family was known for healing quickly, remember? "If you were up to it you could come. Dad knows you're down here now. But he wouldn't have to come. I could take mom out to 'give him a break' from looking after her." Watching tv was so hard. "Or we could stay here."

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, shaking his hand off her wrist gently and returning to her post. "I could," she sighed. But how much would his mother like her? She wasn't betting on alot. "We'll see. I'm focusing on my castle now," she smiled at him, taking a chunk of sand.

* * *

Ed smiled back and started to help. He felt kind of silly for playing in the sand, but he was having fun. "Did you swim today?" he asked.

* * *

"Not yet," Cha-Cha shook her head, though she had her bathing suit on under her shorts, if he wanted to go with her. Her sarong was by her side, folded neatly. "Course...it's more like standing in the water for me. I don't swim," she giggled. "But I would love to play in the water with you."

* * *

"Can't swim or don't swim?" he asked. He found that surprising either way. Water and playing was a good idea though. In general and for the possible amusing spectators too.

* * *

"Little of both," Cha-Cha admitted. She just never got a hang of it when she went. While she could keep her head above water (when it wasn't oerly deep), she couldn't move too well. And she didn't like to too much. There was something scary about the open water, especially when it was over her head. She'd be fine when he was with her, of course.

* * *

"Would the pool be better than the ocean?" he asked. Oceans had fun waves, but would she play in them? Pools had a floor and sides. Security.

* * *

Cha-Cha thought about it. "Ocean. The pool is boring, and there were a ton of old people in it, from what I could see. No offence baby. But I'm not looking to wrestle an innertube from somebody's grandma," though it would be a sight to see. "I'll be fine in the ocean as long as you go with me. Do you have your swimming stuff with you?"

* * *

"No I'd have to go get it. We can finish this first." He had the pail full. Tipping it upside carefully he started on his section of the castle. "Would you want to live in a real castle?" he asked as he filled it again.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, shrugging. "I dunno. I am a queen," she grinned. So it would only be fitting. "I think a castle would take alot of work though. I mean the dam would be nice, for killing strangers and enemies and stuff. But there are so many rooms! I would never even go in some of the rooms, I'd have to walk a year to get from one end to the other! I dunno, Eddie," she laughed. And he thought she'd go with the corny 'I'd need a king' route!

* * *

Oh yeah, ha ha, good point. She indeed was a queen. "I think it'd be fun. I'd get lost in my own house...but having servants would be fun." He had to admit killing people with the moat was not the first thing that came to his mind. She was something else.

* * *

"There'd be about ninety closets though Ed! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I don't think I have that much clothes," Cha-Cha admitted with a giggle. Well, they'd just have to get more then. If they lived in a castle, they could afford a big wardrobe. "I'd hae to be living in the castle with alot of people. Otherwise I'd go crazy."

* * *

Ed dumped another tower out. Using his fingers to poke small holes for windows he said, "Your room. My room. Our room." Yes three were involved. Why? Well why not? They had space. He reached around to poke a hole on a separate part of the building. "Lennie. Because he'd never find us starting from there, and we don't need another surprise visit."

* * *

"Wait, why do we have seperate rooms? If we fight, you'll sleep on the couch like every other man in America. What, you think you're special just cause you live in a castle?" Cha-Cha asked, trying not to laugh too hard. Nodding, she poked a finger into the tower beside theirs. "Ivana..." reaching over, she poked two on either side of Lennie's window. "Rusty and Grace. He's gotta get used to us drag queens somehow, baby."

* * *

"Well obviously I am special if I have a castle," he insisted. Watching her picking out rooms for her friends, he felt for his old partner. "The poor guy doesn't stand a chance. You think you can handle it and everything'll be the same, then suddenly woosh, all gone."

* * *

"Do you want a crown?" Cha-Cha teased him, working on a small moat in front of the castle. She'd need to fill the pail with water though, for it to be a real moat. If only there were tiny alligators. She frowned at his second comment. "What's that supposed to mean?"

* * *

"His defensive walls, sweetheart." Or in Ed's case, his living habits...but he didn't complain. Obviously with a second person around homes wouldn't stay perfect forever. Okay, so he still missed it! Anyway, he probably could have worded that better, he thought, because she was nearing The Look. Crap.

* * *

"I hope that's all you mean," Cha-Cha nodded. Filling up her pail again, she dumped it rather forcefully onto the ground. No wonder it turned out a little lumpy and crumbly. Sighing, she reached over with her shovel to try and even it out. It fell apart. Her jaw twitched. "Wanna go swimming now?" she asked, frustrated.

* * *

Well, not if he upset her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you if I did. Hun. Really." If she killed her castle, that probably wasn't a good sign.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, sighing. "I think the sand's too dry though," she frowned, thinking. "And I wanna go swimming." But she wanted to come back to it later, too. A little of everything, a rotation. Luckily they were far enough away from the tide. But she didn't like the way the kids with the monster palace were looking at their little castle. Not at all. They looked like troublemakers.

* * *

If they got near it he'd shoot them.

Okay not seriously, but then he'd be stuck with having to buy her a real castle to make up for it and paying servants would drain his savings account dry. And keeping the property nice? Come on. Just back off, kids. Better for everyone.

"Do you want to come up to the room with me or wait here?" he asked.

* * *

Going with him when he'd be changing and potentially naked. Tempting. "I think I better guard our castle," she decided, drawing a protective circle around it with her twig. Just for a little bit. "I've got my suit on underneath. Don't be long?"

* * *

"I won't." Go up, change, come down. Pretty quick.

He was back as soon as he could, happy to see the castle was still in tact. No crying drag queen. Always good.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled and waved at him, pulling her shirt off before standing up. Even on the beach she wasn't a modest person, and proudly sported a loudly coloured two piece. Tying the sarong around her waist quickly, she spread her arms out to show herself off. "Am I gorgeous, darling?"

* * *

He had been wondering what she'd wear. "Like always," he smiled. He was a little disappointed he couldn't gaze at her chest. But this was still good. Got quite the reaction from those nearby. Ed grabbed her while her arms were out, spinning her around a little. Yes, to be cute. Also to get her slightly dizzy. He only needed her a little disoriented...and he could carry her the few feet it'd take to drop her in the water.

* * *

Cha-Cha let out a loud squeal as he spun her, her arms tight around his neck. It quickly dissolved into a fit of giggles though, that smile from before returning to her face after a short absence. "You're crazy," she laughed out, pressing a kiss against his neck. "And you're making me dizzy!"

* * *

He'd been able to side step enough to get her to the water without her realizing it in time to stop him. He let her go but steadied her by catching her arms to make sure she didn't actually fall all the way in. It was hardly up to her knees, but it was sure cold.

* * *

Cha-Cha kept her arms around his neck, her eyes widening as she was lowered into the ocean. It took all her self control not to shriek again. "Holyhellthat's_cold_," she rambled out, pulling hm a little closer. Why did she pick the ocean over the pool again??

* * *

"You'll get used to it," he assured her with a smile. Kicked a little at her. "It'll be better if you go all the way in." He took her hand and stepped a little more into the water, pausing to see if she'd protest.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed huffily, making a face. "But it's freezing," she sighed. Slowly she followed him, taking little steps. "Can we do this like a bandaid? Cause the slow steps thing, this is not working for me."

* * *

"I wasn't sure if you wanted to." The whole not liking open water thing. But sure he'd pick up the pace. Ed only needed it to be a little deeper before diving in at an angle. Deep enough to go straight down obviously would take forever.

* * *

Diving? Uh, no. "Let's just run out and sit down or something really fast. I'm cold," she sighed, taking a few fast steps. Okay, bad idea! It was at her mid thighs now, and she waited a bit to get used to it that much.

* * *

"That's no fun." Sitting? Psh. No. He tackled her instead. Hey, going all the way underwater would get it over with faster! He was only thinking of her.

* * *

Cough hack, sputter sputter. Cha-Cha kicked her legs somewhere in Ed's general direction. She might've gotten him once or twice, and that was what mattered. No the water wasn't that deep, but Cha-Cha was not a swimmer. She finally got her head above water, coughing like a cat with a hairball. Once she could breath and see right again...it would be wise for him to run.

* * *

They weren't under for more than four seconds. Even surprised you'd last that long. Ed rubbed at his eye as he floated around, not standing up all the way so he'd stay mostly submerged. The air would be colder than the water now. "Damn it, I got salt in eye," he grumbled, rubbing at it.

* * *

"Serves you right!!" Cha-Cha snapped. Though, she was warmer now. And hey, her feet could touch the ground...hey she was floating! Didn't realize she could do that. Okay, that was pretty cool...but he was not off the hook.

* * *

"You said you wanted to do it fast, so we did it fast. Doesn't it feel better now?" Does what she asks and this is what he gets for it. "If you're cold come here," he said, opening his arms to her. Being so weightless in water she could probably sit on his lap while he stood on one foot. It was amazing.

* * *

Cha-Cha huffed, watching him. Well wasn't he expectant? He almost drowns her, and expects her to cuddle with him? Shaking her head, she hit her hand against the water, bringing it back up to splash him. "You're a real jerk," she reminded him.

* * *

Ed splashed her back. "And you can't take a joke, but I don't say anything," he teased. "Come here, please?" Worth a shot.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, standing up in the water. She walked over to him slowly, the water hindering her movements a bit. "I'm only doing this because we're on vacation and you can't stay mad on vacation. Even though you coulda killed me back there and you still haven't even apologozed or anything..." hint hint. She carefully placed herself in his lap, arms going around his waist.

* * *

"I'm sorry Cha-Cha. I promise I'll only tackle you if there is a bed to break your fall." He said it completely seriously. Did he get forgiven? He thought he should. It was sorta hard to say without even smiling.

Ah, what he would give to be in the hotel room.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, kissing his cheek quickly. "Deal. At least don't do it in water! I'm pretty sure I saw my life flashing before my eyes a little. At least a few big moments," she told him. Course they were very dirty big moments, and it may have been because a half naked Ed had just jumped on her. But it didn't sound traumatic that way!

* * *

Could be traumatic to think those moments wouldn't happen again if she'd drowned.

"So you really don't swim?" he asked. She got in the water. She certainly grasped the concept of kicking underwater, and the bruise on his shin would prove that. Just needed to put that together.

* * *

"I do not," Cha-Cha replied. Why swim? This was more fun anyway. And suited her lazy soul better. Shifting around on his lap, she got as comfortable as she could in the water. "Do you?" she'd never see him go. Their apartment did have a pool, she was pretty sure. But he didn't seem like the type that swam often.

* * *

"Yes. Not swim team worthy or anything, but I like it." Hardly used the apartment's pool, though. No real reason why. Just never got in the habit.

* * *

"Coulda fooled me," Cha-Cha grinned, running a hand down his abs. "I just never got into it. It scares me, you know? Like...I guess I can do okay when it's just like this. But my head doesn't go below the water. My hair doesn't get wet," she let him know. Her hair was soaked from the football tackle. But she'd forgive him, he didn't know.

* * *

"If you do it more often, maybe you'll get used to it." Although they lived in New York. Except for hot days, swimming wasn't really required. "Sorry for getting your hair wet," Ed added. It had just been so tempting. Couldn't help himself. "If it makes you feel better, you've already attracted several pairs of eyes."

* * *

"Maybe, but...I dunno. I guess I'd just prefer not to drown," Cha-Cha shrugged, totally serious. If you kept your head above water, there was no chance of that. Simply put. Giggling, she pretended to strike a pose for her admirers. "For what reason though?" she added with a laugh. Not often one saw a man in a bikini.

* * *

"I'm gonna go with interracial couple." Pft. Yeah right. But that might have had something to do with it. Who knew? All Ed knew for sure was that he was really tempted to pull a certain string. But she'd slap him, most likely. So her top would stay on. For now.

* * *

"Among other things," Cha-Cha giggled, rubbing her fingers back up his chests. "Can't win with the homophobes, can't win with the racists, can't win with the...transphobes? Well, I can't anyway," she laughed, shrugging. Clearly she wasn't too broken up over this. "We just suck, don't we?"

* * *

"Well when you put it that way, yeah," he chuckled. He'd been using one arm to hold her and the other to keep him upright, but he wrapped the second around her now. "But I think we have a few redeeming factors."

* * *

"Just a few," Cha-Cha agreed with a giggle. Leaning down, she pressed a few kisses against his throat, down to his collarbone. What? They were innocent kisses. Close-mouthed and everything. It certainly was not because anyone was watching them.

* * *

Ed sunk a little deeper into the water. Partly because he could move his hands wherever he felt and no one could see, and partly because she was making him lose his balance. But he kept their heads above the water! That was a must, he'd learned.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, trailing her kisses to his shoulder and up his neck to his ear. "How many people are watching?" she asked softly. Even if they audience got bored, she knew she wasn't going to. Neither would he...hopefully? That would be a blow to the ego.

* * *

Oh, they were doing this for the audience? Ed was more in it for himself. "Five-ish." That mouth was driving him crazy. It needed to be on his and off his body soon. "If a lifeguard interrupts it was your idea."

* * *

"Wait a sec," Cha-Cha mumbled, holding his shoulders. Carefully she flipped herself so a leg rested on either side of his, straddling him rather than sitting on him. Chest to chest. "How many are elderly? I don't wanna hospital bill or a lawsuit if they have heart attacks," she mumbled before biting into the skin below his ear.

* * *

"Ahh-I don't think any of them are." He leaned to look around her, trying not to be obvious. They really were the worst people ever for doing this intentionally. "Looks like all younger people. Must be the wrong season for elderly." Ed noticed a life guard eying them angrily. _Uh oh_

.

* * *

Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow, following his eyes. Okay, they were about to get called out on. Whoops. Go out with a bang though, right? She turned her face back to look at her, leaning in to kiss him passionately. If the lifeguard had angry words for them, he'd just have to wait. They were busy at the moment.

* * *

_That's my girl_. Ed kept an eye on the man anyway. "Hun," he said, trying to get her attention. "Hey. He doesn't...have...a thing to...yell...with..." He'd walked to the edge of the water, glaring at them. As if there was some law.

Actually, maybe it wasn't a law. But there could have been a beach rule they hadn't bothered to check. But was he seriously going to walk all the way out here? When his feet splashed into the water he took that as a yes. "Do you wanna run?" he asked. It sounded like fun. And a whole lot more fun than getting yelled at. Then again he'd never seen her run, add in water to make it harder...if they got caught, would that be more embarrassing than now?

* * *

"Run?" Cha-Cha rose her eyebrows. "In water?" It was too heavy to push past, it would be too hard. Running was out, anyway. Unless they swam away...but Cha-Cha didn't swim. Unless he swam and she...held onto his shoulders or something. The lifeguard was almost in up to his knees. "Unless you swim, I don't see how we could get away..." notice she didn't say 'we'.

* * *

Hmm. Out swim a lifeguard? "Alright, then we're staying. But I'm still saying you started it," he said jokingly. "Hold on a little tighter," he suggested. And with her still around him he waited for the man to approach them. "Yes?" Ed asked.

"Is this really appropriate behavior?"

Ed shrugged. "We're more than halfway under water, is it really bothering anyone?"

* * *

"Believe me mister, if you don't like us kissing, you don't wanna know what was happening under the water," Cha-Cha added with a laugh. Nothing was really happening, but the look on the guard's face was too funny not to say it.

"I'd just like to remind you two that this is a family friendly beach. As you can see there are young children here," he motioned towards the sand. "They're trying to enjoy the day with their parents, and don't need to see _that_," Cha-Cha didn't like his tone on 'that'.

* * *

"We're off to the side, we're up to our shoulders in water. For all they know we're standing next to each other." Standing…in water that should only be just above the thigh. As if kids knew that! "They shouldn't be watching anyway."

The man grunted. "Do I have to ask you to leave?"

"Oh no, by all means, you're free to leave whenever you'd like."

"Sir..." The man thought before he tried again, but Ed didn't feel like waiting. He stood up carefully, Cha-Cha's legs still wrapped around his hips.

* * *

Cha-Cha was trying not to laugh. Honestly. But she sort of liked this side of Ed. The detective with a rebellious streak? Who ever heard of that? She liked this sterotype breaking attitude. "By the way, mister," she added, not letting go of Ed. If anything she clung tighter, arms snaked around his neck and legs around his waist. "What are lifeguards supposed to do again?"

The man was baffled. "Keep the peace on the beach. Keep an eye on swimmers, make sure people are respectful towards others--"

"Okay then. If you're trying to promote respect and all that...where's my sandcastle?" she asked with wide eyes, pointing towards the beach. The palace they'd worked on together was long gone, kicked into the ground.

* * *

It was very out of character for Ed to be a hassle. He felt the guys pain, he'd had to enforce rules for years. Knew that sarcasm was extremely annoying, and you wanted the people to shut up and do what you asked. But he'd put up with worse people than himself. And he hadn't been harming anyone. The man looked appalled they'd take this out of the water, but what did he expect?

"She has a point." Their poor towers. No guest room for Lennie now.

* * *

Cha-Cha loved to hassle. "It seems to me you have a bigger problem with adults showing affection for each other than you do with children..._violently_ destroying a work of art," Yes she was calling the towers a work of art. They were. "And you know, that doesn't seeem very lifeguardly to me. What if somebody started drowning down there and you couldn't get to them because you were giving us a hard time?"

Humiliated, the lifeguard adjusted his goggles. "I think you should both probably leave."

* * *

Ed rolled his eyes. Whatever. He carefully let her legs down. "Pool would be warmer anyway." Mumbling to Cha-Cha he added, "And no lifeguard on duty."

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, taking his hand as they headed towards the beach. Homophobic jerk. Racist, transphobic jerk. Harsh? Maybe. Not that she cared. "I wanna kick down those kids' castle," she admitted. "Just to see how they like it."

* * *

"We can come back at night. Pretend we're a wave and knock it over. If we do too much we might loose our room," he pointed out with a sigh. "Just be content with the fact we'll get sand in the pool." Why were they acting so strange? He didn't know.

* * *

"But they didn't lose their room when they knocked down ours!" Cha-Cha protested. How was that even fair? They were older and wiser, sure, but there was no excuse for stupid kids. She hated stupid kids. "_Fine_," she relented, sighing.

* * *

"I doubt anyone was watching them. We're being followed. There's a difference." As they walked he thought about if he really wanted to swim again. They'd only been in the water a little while,but it had been enough to cool him off. "Would you rather window shop, since you're not really a water girl?"

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled, obviously liking that idea better. "You know me," she giggled, heading up the beach to get her stuff. She grimaced as her feet caked with the sand, and also as they passed the destructive boys. It took alot of self-control for her not to do something immature.

* * *

They went up and Ed changed. They hadn't done laundry in so long, he was stuck. "I know you groaned at the idea of khaki, or anything like it..." he rounded the corner, ready for complaints. "Running out of other stuff, unfortunately."

* * *

Cha-Cha's forehead wrinkled. Okay, he...he tried. He really did. "Baby...here's the thing. When you wear a solid colour...and only that colour..." she bit her lip, holding back a shudder. Approaching him, she took a look, trying to make it work. Pulling the longer shirt off of him, she took a step back. "Do you have darker pants, hun? It's just...the white is a little crazy. You look great in white don't get me wrong..."

* * *

If he looked great in white, why did he have to change? Not that he dared ask her that. "Yeah but we're on vacation. Who could we run into? Unless you're that embarrassed by this. It's not like we're getting our picture taken." Sudden realization. "I don't have a picture of you." It was too hot for black, but he had a feeling he'd be changing.

* * *

"Just go get some black pants honey. You'll be fifty times hotter that way," Cha-Cha assured him. She, for once in her life, was going relatively simple. Yellow tank top, pink and blue skirt. Green tights. Well, simple for her. "Why do you need a picture? You going somewhere?" she grinned.

* * *

Ed walked off to change. Easier than to fight it. But it was the same he'd worn yesterday, and he felt...bleh wearing them again. "I just thought of it. And now it's going to bug me. Maybe I want to be able to look at you wherever I am."

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, shrugging. "Do you have a camera? We can do a Cha-Cha photoshoot," she teased. She liked that reasoning, to be honest. She wouldn't mind him carrying her around in his pocket.

* * *

"Not on me, no." He disappeared for a minute or two, reappeared in precinct worthy clothes. Couldn't put the dirty ones on after all. Why had he packed this? Habit he supposed. But it felt normal to him, as dressed up as it was to the average man.

* * *

Wrong again. Sighing, Cha-Cha shook her head. "Now how beachy is that? Why not just the black pants and the wifebeater?" Yes he was a proffessional, but he was a proffessional on vacation. He could afford to get a little sloppy. "I'd suggest shorts but there's something about shorts on a man..." she made a face. "You're gonna kill me for asking...but did you bring any jeans?"

* * *

"We're not going back to the beach, so what does it matter? And no I didn't bring jeans." Those were reserved for going off the deep end and spiraling into a depression. Not vacations.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed. "I guess. I dunno though, I think you'll be hot in that. But the white was just so...so..." she eaved her hand, looking for the term. "So nineties. And not the fun nineties, either."

* * *

"As if you remember the nineties." If he could chase down criminals in one hundred degree weather in this, he could take a girl window shopping. "Are _you_

ready?"

* * *

"I do so remember the nineties!" Cha-Cha protested. She wasn't that young. Unfortunately. Sighing, she nodded, tossing her purse over her shoulder. "I'm ready. Where is there to window shop around here?" She'd never been to Virginia, and figured he'd know better.

* * *

"Depends on if you want to drive or not. There's the street lined with your typical ocean stuff, or Williamsburg. That's like, old time...Pocahontas Virginia. Cute, but not fancy. There's an actual city which would be normal stores. What do we feel like?"

* * *

"Pochahantis Virginia?" Cha-Cha asked. As in the indian Pochahantis? "What do you mean, cute but not fancy? Is it cheap but not fancy too?" she added. She had all of twenty dollars in her purse, if even.

* * *

"It's Colonial Williamsburg. Like. I dunno. The whole John Smith and Pocahontas time period. But it's all hand made stuff that looks like back in the day, nothing you would wear. Although there is a two story toy store." She was a kid at heart still. "It's hard to explain Williamsburg..."

* * *

That was all she needed to hear. "I'm in," she replied quickly, cutting him off. Toy store? Two stories? She hadn't been to a toy store in years. This needed to happen. The Pochahantis thing was pretty neat, too, of course. She always liked the raccoon. Meeki? Meeko?

* * *

"Alright." There was enough building and shading for him to survive in a suit. So there. "It's a bit of a drive." Almost an hour. "I guess if we do this I won't get back to the house." Like she'd complain.

* * *

"Oh, what a shame," Cha-Cha smiled to herself, shrugging. Well did he want to go back? Or would he rather spend the day with her? She knew what she hoped the answer would be, and she was probably right.

* * *

He probably should go back, but he wouldn't. Ed picked up his cell while heading for the balcony. "You wanna get your shoes?" he suggested. He walked outside, only partially closing the door in his laziness.

He dialed. "Melissa, it's me... Really well at first, then a little disappointing. ...Right. Anyway, I was wondering if--yeah, but you'll get dinner out of it. ...Bring Angela, Mom won't care. ...Williamsburg. She's never been there. ...Please? Only an hour or two early. ...Thanks.Tell Angela I saw hey. ...Yup. Bye." Walking back into the room he closed the door completely. Headed for the door to the hall.

* * *

Cha-Cha fished around in her bag for some suitable footwear, only sort of listening in. A little bit. She felt bad for Melissa; they never did end up meeting. He hadn't mentioned an Angela, though. Finding some shoes, she went to join him at the door. "All set?" she asked, slipping them on.

* * *

"Yeah, Melissa said she'd fill in for me so we're good to leave." They would have gone anyway, buy at least a kid would be there now. If only to talk to. Ed still hadn't felt needed, and they'd tried to shove the job placement down his throat again.

* * *

"I'll have to meet her some other time," Cha-Cha bit her lip. Melissa did seem nice. But at the same time, she wouldn't give up the day with Ed. Not if Melissa was willing to cover for him.

* * *

"I hope so. I almost feel bad for calling her in . But she's got a friend with her so she'll have fun wherever she is." Maybe they'd see his sister before they left tomorrow.

The drive was shorter than he thought, and soon they were in Colonial Williamsburg. "You can't drive cars down some of the streets," he said, full of random knowledge. "Partly for foot traffic and tourists, and I think the other reason is because it's so old. Cobblestone couldn't handle thousands of cars. It's built for horses." They parked in a little lot and he lead the way down and around the corner to the toy store.

* * *

"The more you know," Cha-Cha sang softly under her breath. Her jaw dropped as she spotted the toy store, the corners of her mouth tilting up. "Toys," she sighed happily, trying not to laugh. There were some things you never outgrew.

* * *

Ed knew he sounded like a tour guide, but...he'd been here so many times. Couldn't help it.

Ah yes, toys. "After you," he said, opening the door for her. "There's ice cream across the street to cool off later," he added. Ed thought it best, for now, to stand back and let her go.

* * *

That was probably a smart idea on Ed's part. She was the tallest kid in the store, but there was no mistaking it. She was definitely a kid. She motioned for him to join her heading over to the dolls. She always wished she could have Barbie's closet. Some of those outfits...so not child-friendly, but very Cha-Cha friendly.

* * *

Ed followed and acted interested for a while. His attention was eventually stolen by the two World War miniature sets. How could they have made such a tiny Hitler? Who would actually by him? For four hundred and fifty dollars? Apparently someone. But as strange as looking at the scene scaled down immensely was, he was intrigued. The detail was amazing.

* * *

It took five minutes for Cha-Cha to realize she was alone, another minute to actually care, and all of ten seconds for her to locate her man. With an annoyed sigh, she stalked over to get him back. Tugging on his hand insistantly, tried to guide him in the right direction. "Know what else is really deatailed, honey?Barbie's Dream Mansion." Who would want to buy those things anyway? They were so creepy.

* * *

"I was just wondering that. You might interested in that doctor though," he laughed as he was lead away. "For a statue, he was pretty hot."

Ah, Barbie's. Couldn't Cha-Cha be interested in something less pink?

* * *

"How could you even see him?" Cha-Cha asked. He was so small! And probably all bloodied, anyway. Not worth the ridiculous price. "Maybe he so, but Ken is anatomically correct. Well sort of," she laughed. You could take his clothes off at least. That was always a plus in her book. "Fine, we can look at Barbies later. Stuffed animals then?"

* * *

"You don't need me to hold your hand to look at them, do you?" he chuckled. "I'll be right over there." Ed pointed a few displays to the left. Pretending to look at toys for his kid, instead of himself or lover.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, breaking away to find a stuffed animal. She liked the teddy bears, herself. Sort of reminded her of Ed, though he wouldn't appreciate the association. Still, he couldn't deny, for as tough as he tried to be, he sure was cuddly. She wondered how traumatized he'd be if she told Lennie that. Sifting through the pile, she finally found one she liked, squeezing it to her chest as she approached him.

* * *

Ed turned and smiled. "Cute," he said. "Is that coming home with us?" If she was clinging to it like that, he'd probably be safer not to argue.

* * *

"I dunno," Cha-Cha grinned. Yes, it definitely was. "I think he's cute. But I also think my wallet is close to empty," she admitted. Hint hint triple hint. She wasn't with Ed because of his money, and didn't want to constantly ask him for things. But it was sort of a bonus, and if he didn't mind...

* * *

"If I get kicked out of the bed because you'd rather sleep with him, I'm bringing him back." He dug for his wallet. He could have the bedside table. Bed was Ed's territory. And he guarded it to the death.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, hugging the bear closer. "What if I wanna cuddle with both of you though?" she asked. A little bear wouldn't take up the whole other side of the bed! Ed really was silly sometimes. The bear would be needing a name though. "What are you looking at?" she asked, peersing at the display she'd found him at.

* * *

"I'm just walking around," he said, currently in front of toys made for the Jamestown settlers theme. "Trying to figure out how they'd sell any of this with the electronic toys out now." Wooden guns with no decoration. Bow and arrow that probably didn't even work. But it was cute in a simple kind of way. "Doesn't seem like they'd stand a chance."

* * *

Cha-Cha tilted her head to get a better look. "Wooden guns? Typical boy," she giggled. Wouldn't he prefer a Princess Barbie? Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony? He may have been teddy bear-ish, but that testosterone was still there. It seemed to have skipped over Cha-Cha. A fascination with bloody movies was her only typical male trait.

* * *

"Better believe it," he laughed. Weapons were fun. But these weren't as cool as the ones he had at home. She'd probably be annoyed if he said that aloud though. "I'll get your bear," he said, holding out a hand for it. "You can look around more if you want."

* * *

"Sokay," Cha-Cha assured him, following him. "Aren't you getting anything for yourself?" she added. Who went to a toy store and left empty-handed? Or at least begged and pleaded for something.

Oh right. Adults.

* * *

"No, I'm fine," he answered. She had to hold the bear after he bought it, but she didn't seem to mind. "Ice cream?" Ed asked. There was a Baskin Robbins down the street. Along the way plenty of windows to look at, and a few stores worth going in to as well.

* * *

Cha-Cha played with the bear as she walked, pretending her was walking up and down her stomach. "Do you even have to ask?" she grinned, pulling on the bear's arms. Cha-Cha would never refuse ice cream. Ever. It just didn't happen.

* * *

After they got their ice cream Ed walked her around, trying to remember where things were. "The Governor's Palace is down there," he suggested, only a five or ten minute walk. Didn't look like a typical palace. More like a mansion. But back in the day it would have been very impressive.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, the Edgar under her arm. Yes, the bear's name was Edgar. Also known as Eddie the second. Eddie V 2.0. Eddie Improved? She couldn't help herself! "Depends on what Eddie II thinks," she teased. "Sure. What's up there?"

* * *

"That way is...I don't remember. So surprise, shopping, or Palace." He paused a moment. "Eddie II?" he asked. "Really?" Couldn't she get something fiercer if she was going to name it after him?

* * *

"Well what's so great at the Palace? You know what my first choice is," Cha-Cha grinned, nodding. She let Eddie Revamped walk along his chest playfully. "Eddie II. Short for Edgar. What you thought he was named after _you_ or something?" she giggled. "Though he'd cuddly like you."

* * *

Ed rolled his eyes. "Who's the first Edgar?" Cuddly wasn't what he'd say either. Why must she use such adjectives to describe him? He assumed shopping won, but he'd just follow her to make sure.

* * *

Damnit, she hadn't thought of that. Cornered. "You are, of course. Until I see your birth certificate, I have no proof that you're not an Edgar," she decided, grinning. She headed off in the direction of the Palace, just for a change. Strange for her to choose something over shopping, but the Palace...was a Palace. Simply put.

* * *

"I believe you when you say you're a Cha-Cha, but you don't believe I'm an Edward?" Ew. Edward. He preferred Ed. Better than Edgar though. He wrapped an arm around her waist, determined to beat this damn bear. He couldn't do that.

* * *

"Ed's just...Ed could be short for so many different things! It's two letters. Besides, if I went by Alejandro, but really went by Ally again, I wouldn't blame you for being curious," she assured him. She hugged Eddie II to her, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Can't I be with both my boys at once?"

* * *

"As long as I'm your favorite, he can hang around." He couldn't believe his competition was a stuffed bear. When did his life get so pathetic? They reached the Governor's Palace within a few minutes, it's orange brick standing out against the green grass. It was at least three stories, and said to be haunted. He would have told her, but how would that be scary in the middle of the day? Maybe if they returned for dinner in town he'd walk her by again.

* * *

"It's not a competition, darling! If he goes 'missing' one day I am going to be very upset," she hugged tighter to the small bear. Yes, she was going to want to sleep with him. She'd keep an arm around Eddie II, while Eddie I kept an arm around her. It worked out. "So sorry, what's in here again?" she asked. Besides a King and Queen.

* * *

"Well at the moment I assume furniture and tourists. No one actually lives in it anymore. I've never been inside, I normally just walk by. I'm not even sure if you can go in, now that I think about it." Probably should have thought about that before. "So maybe not tourists."

* * *

"...what about the royalty?" Cha-Cha asked. What good was a palace without a king and queen? What was the point of that? "Don't tell me I'm the only queen here." She cuddled Eddie II a bit more.

* * *

"You are. Think of it as no competition." He still eyed that teddy bear warily. Psh. Besides, didn't she remember that America didn't have royalty? Honestly now. And it was called the _Governor's_ Palace. He'd never promised a king and queen involved.

* * *

Yes, she knew America didn't have a monarch. She wasn't that dumb. But...a palace was supposed to have royal people. Otherwise it wasn't a palace. Even if they weren't the King and Queen of America, they would be a king and queen in America. Or at least rich enough to be a king or queen. Hey, at least Eddie II didn't question her logic. "Should we have gone shopping instead?" she asked. If there wasn't anything up here...

* * *

Silly him for thinking she'd be interested in one of the most historical buildings in the state. "Probably. But the better stores are after this anyway. So you'll get your shopping." They passed a few other important places, and Ed didn't bother pointing them out.

* * *

Cha-Cha wasn't a history person. Nowhere near. Maybe if she had more knowledge of the places she'd appreciate them more, but to her they were just buildings. There were lots of buildings in New York. What was so special about these ones? "I can't believe you're not complaining," she teased. Since when did Ed Green suggest shopping?

* * *

Maybe he was trying to win points so she wouldn't be mad when he said he was going home for dinner. Sue him. "It's your turn to pick what we do," he said, even though she'd already gotten a teddy bear and ice cream. Though he was already suspicious of that bear. Look at him, just smiling... stealing Ed's attention and enjoying every minute of it!

* * *

She dragged him to a few clothes stores, most overpriced. "How can they ask thirty dollars for a skirt?" she asked in disbelief. Though Cha-Cha was used to buying things used. And well-worn. That took a chunk off the price most days.

* * *

"It's a tourist town, everything is expensive." Food, especially. It drove him nuts. "But if you see something, Cha-Cha, let me know." Vacation goers need souvenirs. She wouldn't be getting anything Jamestown-ish, so clothing would fill in.

* * *

"I don't wanna ask you," Cha-Cha insisted. Well, she really did. But she wanted to at least come across as thoughtful. Besides, she did have her bear. That was pretty good, as far as her standards went. "How's your clothes situation? Do you need more?"

* * *

"I'm offering." It was a gift, she was allowed to accept it. "And again, I'm fine. I'm on vacation, I don't care what I look like, I'll never see these people again."

* * *

Cha-Cha rose her eyebrows. "Wow, Eddie. You mean...but don't you want to make an impression?" She couldn't imagine having that viewpoint. No, none of these people would ever see her again. That was why she wanted to make them remember, wanted to standout, so they'd never forget her.

* * *

Walking down the street together, he sincerely doubted passerby would be looking at him. Not with her there. They'd probably forget he was there. "I don't really care, honestly." He was no longer single, who was he trying to catch the attention of? She probably wouldn't like that philosophy though, since she had to be seen by him. ...Okay, he couldn't leave the house a slob, he'd kill himself first. But really, he didn't care if he wasn't magazine worthy.

* * *

"Does not compute," Cha-Cha giggled, stopping to look at some cakes in a window. And to check her reflection. Cha-Cha was crafty. Taking his hand again, she continued on the way. "I wish I wore my skates," she commented.

* * *

"And leave me behind? You'd get lost here," he laughed. "Besides you can't go in stores with them, I assume." Although the outdoor mall allowed animals. Huh.

* * *

"Oh, I can go into stores in them. I get chased out, but that's the adventure!" Cha-Cha giggled. What a bore it was to be dignified, repectable shoppers? Havoc-wreaking was too much fun.

* * *

"But then I get chased out. Or I have to follow you. And it's too hot," he laughed. The south was pretty but very hot. Ick. His ice cream had be devoured in minutes. "I can't keep up in good conditions."

* * *

"Now see, what did you do when you had murderers on roller skates?" she asked. Or at least, she assumed there would be some murderers on roller skates. If they were crafty, they would be. Roller skates were a very good escape mechanism. Not that Cha-Cha had ever had to escape from police or anything...don't be silly!

* * *

"Run'em over. Just kidding. But we didn't run into that ofter. Skateboards, yes. But if you have the area crawling with police you catch them eventually." Shooting, intentionally missing, usually scared them to a stop too.

* * *

"It's smarter than just running," Cha-Cha pointed out. Easier too. Wheels versus physical labour always won out. "It's faster. I wish you'd try it with me. We can get some boy skates! Are you afraid of falling?" she asked. No matter what he said, nobody was fearless.

* * *

"I just...no. It's not for me." He would look ridiculous, face it. No amount of crying would persuade him. "It's not that I'm afraid, I just don't want to. I'm happy just watching." Keeping his feet on the ground.

* * *

"Okay then," Cha-Cha replied softly. "Chicken," she added under her breath. Nobody ever called her mature. And it was true. Obviously he just wasn't as brave and courageous as she was. Obviously.

* * *

Ed shoved her playfully. He didn't what she said but he saw her mouth move. Could only assume she was teasing. "Next store," he decided, out of things to say.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, wrapping an arm around his waist. Well, he didn't deny it. That was fine, though. She could deal with having a chicken for a boyfriend. He was cute enough. "What do you wanna see me wear, Eddie?" she asked.

* * *

"Nothing we'd find in these tourist shops," he smirked. Ed was joking for the most part. Her average attire showed off enough to satisfy him. Adult specialty stores weren't necessary. Fun to suggest though.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, shaking her head. "Always something sexual with you. Always always. What would you have done if...if I was a virgin or something? And waiting till...commitment ceremony?" she laughed, shaking her head.

* * *

"You asked for that one," he laughed. But anyway, "You know I didn't jump you our first date. Or second. I don't even think third or fourth. I get no credit for that. But waiting for commitment ceremony, eh?" He thought a second. "The words 'drunk' and 'Vegas' come to mind."

* * *

"It was Valentines Day, darling. You brought me a rose. There was basically no way I could say no," Cha-Cha teased. Not that she'd wanted to. In fact, it probably would have happened sooner if she had any say. Laughing out loud, she asked, "you'd take advantage of a poor little virgin? Do they even do commitment ceremonies in Vegas?" if she did, she wanted Elvis to be the minister.

* * *

"Hun, you can do anything and marry anything in Vegas. You and I would have been down there day two." Imagine that morning after. _A ring? What? Where am I?_

* * *

Cha-Cha shook her head, giggling. "But then you'd have to be married to me. Forever and ever. I mean I guess we could get gay divorced, but maybe I was one of those people who thought marriage was forever? What if we ended up hating each other?"

* * *

"Well hey, you always gamble in Vegas." They weren't even married yet and divorce was on her mind. "I doubt we'll ever end up hating each other." Hoped not. "And look how we've ended up. That wouldn't have been so bad."

* * *

"No, we were lucky. And we didn't get married right away," Cha-Cha pointed out. Who knew what would have happened then. Cha-Cha wasn't too good with the whole commitment thing. Or at least, she couldn't be rushed into it. Look what happened with Scott.

* * *

"So Vegas would have blown it. Good thing you weren't a virgin with strict morals then." Although if she had been waiting for the commitment ceremony, wouldn't that cancel out her fear of commitment? Couldn't have both.

* * *

Cha-Cha smirked, shaking her head. "Honey, there was never even a chance of that. You know me. It woulda been fun to tease you though," she thought outloud. Even though she did, in a way. They didn't even sleep together till the...fourth date? Something ridiculous like that. Maybe the key to a long relationship was _not_ sleeping with men on the first date...interesting.

* * *

"No, that would not have been fun," he laughed. "Would you want me afraid to touch you? I wouldn't know what would make you uncomfortable and we probably would have ended up on different couches just to watch tv." An exageration, but still.

* * *

"True. Or you'd dump me after a month when nothing progressed," she teased. Hey, she'd dump someone after a month too if that were the case. "Either way, we're not virgins we sleep with each other and we certainly aren't married. Life is how it should be" shr grinned. Her mother would be so proud!

* * *

Ed laughed. When you put it that way though, it sounded strange. "So we're where we are supposed to be. Good." He opened the next shops door for her.

* * *

Cha-Cha shrugged taking his hand. "So anyway, that aside...seriously. What do you want to see me wear?" As long as it was up to her standards. Nothing boring. But he got a say too; she was at his side most of the time. She was curious.

* * *

This was a hard question. "I don't know. What you normally wear." Ed had no idea how he was supposed to answer this. "What do you want me to want you to wear?" Jambled question, but if she could something so could he.

* * *

Cha-Cha blinked. "Okay, never mind then. You seriously don't care what I wear?" she asked in disbelief. Most guys did. She did and she care what he wore too. Otherwise she'd be walking around with the Human Snowman right then.

* * *

Wrong answer? "I'm sorry sweetheart. You know how I am, I don't know what's going on dress wise. All I can tell you is that the more skin I see the more I'll like it. But I didn't know if you wanted a more serious answer." She tended to call him perverted whenever he answered honestly.

* * *

Wasn't that the truth. Cha-Cha snorted, shaking her head as she went through the rack. "I could've guessed that though. I dunno...I like the skimpy stuff too, obviously. No worries," she giggled. "But pretty dresses are fun too."

* * *

"Yeah," he nodded. Ed felt like he should give a better answer to her question. But he was a guy. His job was to appreciate, not suggest. What did he know?

* * *

"Not that you'd know," Cha-Cha continued with a laugh, taking a look at a particularily frilly one and putting it back. "I know you think it's unmasculine to even notice what a girl's wearing," she teased. Boys had to turn a completely blind eye to fashion, lest they be seen as girly. What a silly concept.

* * *

"I _notice_ what you wear, but I can't pick anything out." He probably could, and he might be good at it, who knew? But if he tried and failed he'd never live it down. Rather just let her do it.

* * *

"Have you ever even tried? It's not so hard, you know," Cha-Cha shook her head, going through the rack. Frills, frills, more frills. Whoever would make a plaid frilly dress? That was disgusting! Why did plaid slither it's way into the most scared of places? "Just don't pick out stuff like this and you're fine," she added, holding out the offending material.

* * *

"I could have guessed that," he sighed. Ed had never seen her in anything like that. And actually was wise enough to know that he never would. Even he wasn't that dumb. "And no, I haven't tried. But you do so well yourself, you don't need me bothering you."

* * *

"I do, don't I?" Cha-Cha grinned. She was a natural. "Anyway, it was just a question. I'll keep dressing me, and you can keep dressing you. With my assistance. Deal?" she smiled, pulling put a dress to look at it better.

* * *

"Deal." He just hoped she remembered the assistance part. He still got a say. He'd been fine for thirty nine years, after all. Presentably professional.

* * *

Before long she'd found a dress she liked and was trying it on. Of course it was ridiculously expensive, but she didn't expect him to buy it for her. It was too much fun trying on dresses, and besides, what better way to annoy workers than to try on alot and buy nothing? Good times! She'd given him Eddie II to hold onto (whether he liked being seen with a teddy bear or not) and before long was stepping out to get his opinion.

* * *

"It's longer than your other ones," was his first thought. It was pretty and it wasn't green. So far so good. Maybe he should say that out loud. "It's pretty."

* * *

"I have to wear things below the knee sometimes, Eddie. I can be a lady sometimes," Cha-Cha giggled, doing a twirl. "I like it too. It costs more than our rent does, but it's fun to wear."

* * *

Psh. Below the knees were no fun. He wasn't used to that. He liked legs in view please. But it was nice. "Look for something closer to half the rent," he grinned.

* * *

"Something costing half the rent would have half the material," she rolled her eyes, grinning. Checking it in the mirror, she placed her hand on her stomach to slim herself a bit further. "Besides...I just like trying them on," she admitted with a giggle, twirling again.

* * *

"I'd just like watching you try them on. But for some reason I'm only involved once it's on." Unfair. He'd be helpful and supportive! Honest!

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, shaking her head. For a minute he considered his offer, but that wouldn't be very lady-like. "You can help me undress tonight," she promised, smirking at the look of a fellow shoppers' face, who'd apparently overheard. Apparently that wasn't family conversation.

* * *

"I'm holding you to that," Ed grinned. He'd done everything she wanted today, so he deserved one little thing this evening.

Oh yeah, this evening…before that, was he going to be able to have dinner with his parents? He had told them he'd be back, hadn't he? Melissa covered the day before, he ought to go this time.

* * *

"Baby, it's been fourty eight hours. Maybe more. You couldn't drag me away," Cha-Cha admitted. Sighing, she did one last twirl before going to get undressed. She figured he wasn't going back to his parents' at all that night. He'd said he wouldn't have time, considering the drive.

* * *

Ed sat through a few more outfits. Dreading bringing up the subject on his mind. She wouldn't be happy, but his family _was_ the reason they were there. He did a lot to put Cha-Cha first. He left as soon as he could when she called even though it had been going surprisingly well at the house. He'd been there only two hours, and with her how long? He was trying to keep both sides happy.

* * *

Finally Cha-Cha emerged from the dressing room after the last gown. It was clear the storekeeper expected them to buy something, and she yawned into her fist. "Ready to go, lover?" she smiled, reaching for his hand.

* * *

He nodded and off they went. Ed decided on a way for him to leave that didn't focus on dinner with parents. "Would you like to meet Melissa today?" he asked. Handing back her teddy bear he waited for an answer.

* * *

"Sure," Cha-Cha beamed. "Is she gonna come over, or are we gonna go over there...?" she didn't know if he'd already worked it out with his sister. She gladly took her bear back, holding him in her free hand.

* * *

"I'm not sure, I haven't talked much about it to her. We're only calling each other this weekend when we need help. She's having dinner with mom tonight, I could go and bring her back. Or take you too." What do you say?

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded slowly. "You mean...we have dinner with your mom? Or would you just go and get her?" she asked. She had thought they were having dinner together--unless the mother was included in that and he just hadn't mentioned it. "I'm fine either way, as long as you know...I wouldn't have to meet your dad." That wouldn't help anyone.

* * *

"Well it's up to you." If he went to get her, he might happen to get talked into staying a while. If they went together it wouldn't matter. But she didn't seem very happy with the idea. Didn't think she would.

* * *

"I dunno...dinner at your parents' doesnt sound like a good idea. Not for me anyway. If you're going..." she sighed, not thrilled by that idea either. "I guess it's fine, though you said you weren't going to," she sounded like a horrible person, not wanting him to see his parents.

* * *

"It's fine I'm going...with you?" Or was that a 'you're going alone' it's fine? "I said I didn't iwant/i to." Did he say he wasn't? He couldn't remember. But now he was going with he didn't want to.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed. "Only if you don't think anyone would freak out." She knew he had to go see his parents, but she didn't want to be alone either. It wasn't fun without him. But she wasn't going just to get insults thrown at her, and to see him get angry.

* * *

"Dad's out doing something. The real reason I was called down is revealed," he said, rolling his eyes. "Golf or something. Since when does he golf, anyway..." Ed realized his father could have golfed for twenty years and he'd never know.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded. One down, anyway. "What about your mom? How would she take it?" would she at least be willing to meet her? She didn't expect to be best friends with either of Ed's parents, but she imagined his mother would be more open to her.

* * *

"She'll be fine..." Ish. "She won't say anything rude to you. Intentionally. Can't promise any compliments, but at least nothing harsh." She remained neutral. "But Melissa will be there."

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, sighing softly. "Do you think it's a good idea?" he'd know best, right? If his mother would hate her, he wouldn't bring them together.

* * *

"It's not a bad idea. So yes, I think it'd be good." Melissa would shoot him if they came all the way down and she didn't get to meet Cha-Cha. "Do you feel okay about it?" He hoped she'd lie and say yes.

* * *

Cha-Cha wasn't sure. But from the look on his face she knew she'd have to lie. "Yeah," she replied lightly, faking a smile. How bad could it be, right? At least it wasn't his father. And his sister would be there. And he would be there. And his mother probably wouldn't be _trying_ to offend her...

* * *

"Good." He could tell it wasn't sincere, but he wouldn't protest. "So, where to now?" They still had a few hours before they'd have to leave. He'd make it a late dinner to squeeze in as much fun before hand as possible.

* * *

"I dunno. We got time before we go?" Cha-Cha smiled. She figured he was shopped out, and tried to think of some other things they could do. "We've gone swimming, we've gone shopping..." she sighed. "If they let us back on the beach I'd suggest tanning. I need one," she added, looking at her already tan skin.

* * *

"We don't have to go for a while. 'Less you wanna get it over with." He looked at her skin and smiled. "Yeah you need a tan about as bad as I do. But do you wanna go do that now?"

* * *

"I dunno. Did we get banned?" Cha-Cha laughed, clearly tickled by the idea. Being kicked out of places was fun! Doubly so when there was a chase involed, but you couldn't have it all. "They probably have the Wanted-Dead or Alive posters up now."

* * *

"We could go to the part of the beach a few hotels down from us. The lifeguard won't recognize us and it's not like they know their guests that well to know we aren't staying there." If they did that would be weird.

* * *

"Okay." Cha-Cha paused. "Can we get kicked out of there, too? Please Eddie? I wanna get fake moustaches and everything!" she pleaded hopefully. It was just too much fun to resist! Plus, she could run on sand. "Oh wait. One of us already has a moustache. Good going Ed," she huffed, though was smiling through it. How dare his everyday appearance conflict with a snap idea of hers?

* * *

"You with a mustache?" That would obviously look out of place. Which might have been the point, but really. "That'd be something. And you want to get chased off again?" Ed laughed. "Alright, sure. No mustache though." Not to be a downer, but that just would look so weird on her. Not that they could actually find one anyway.

* * *

"I could rock it. I bet you I could," Cha-Cha giggled excitedly, squeezing his hand. "We'll have to think of something really good. Nothing illegal--well, too illegal anyway. Do we have any spray paint?" she asked. Because spray paint was definitely something the normal traveller took with them at all times.

* * *

"Wouldn't it be easier just to roll around together?" he laughed, only half joking. "I don't like admitting it, but we are offensive to idiots just standing still." It wouldn't be hard to get shunned going in without any help. And who just carried spray paint with them?

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed. "That is true." Idiots was right. "I like that idea. Rolling around together like wrestling?" that smile on came off her face for a moment before it was right back where it started, with a trace of mischeviousness. "Is that what you meant?"

* * *

"Oh absolutely." That would do it. And there wouldn't be any way to be closer than...well actually getting illegal. "Or we could simply see how long we last just sitting politely." But where's the fun in that?

* * *

"Darling, it's you and me. I don't even give us five minutes." Especially considering they'd both be half dressed. And possibly wet. Especially considering it'd been over two days since they'd done any more than kiss. Especially considering it was Ed Green period, and he was already pretty irresistable on a normal day.

* * *

"Maybe I've rediscovered my sense of self control? My straight detective persona is reemerging? Not too long ago I'd be sitting on the beach without a problem in the world keeping my hands off people." Now, however, he'd be thinking about the girl beside him.

* * *

"I wouldn't be though. Either way, I never claimed to have a pure mind." That was the furthest thing from the truth. But, then again, it had gotten slightly worse since they started dating. But that wasn't her fault! Look at him! She'd be crazy not to be attracted to him.

* * *

"Then why do you yell at _me_?" he laughed. Ed already knew she was just like him. Why was it okay for her but he got smacked? Imagine what she'd do if he swatted her off him! Yet she was allowed to complain whenever he moved in. Girls were so confusing.

* * *

"Because! Because...cause I'm a lady. Especially when I was dressed up?" She put a hand against her heart as if to say 'I never'! "You can't take advantage of a lady, Ed."

* * *

"Sure I can. It's easy." Ed gripped her hips and pulled her to him, smirking. He kissed her hungrily, then abruptly stopped to tease. "Oh, did you mean 'can't' as in you shouldn't?"

* * *

Cha-Cha wasn't expecting that, and it sure didn't help her to think clearly. "I meant...you shan't," she corrected herself, not breaking away from him yet. "But that was only when I was in the dress. You can do it now," she added, leaning into him again.

* * *

Ed smiled and kissed her again, not as heated as before but not disappointing. He glanced around at some of the faces. He forgot they were out in the open for a moment. "Come on, let's go somewhere else." These weren't shocked faces. More like angry and a little intimidating.

* * *

If that had happened in New York it wouldn't exactly be accepted with open arms, but Cha-Cha hadn't been stared at that hatefully before. Usually she just got yelled insults, to be honest. She wasn't sure which was worse. Either way she stuck close to him, trying not to acknowledge the haters.

* * *

Ed looped an arm around her waist and lead her around the corner. They ended up on a less busy walkway that connected two of the major tourist streets. It'd be an alley if it weren't so highly decorated. Everything here was beautiful. It could pass for a pretty sidewalk, it was no New York alley. "Where were we?" he asked, smiling and moving to kiss her again.

* * *

Cha-Cha stopped walking, her arms wrapping around his waist. She was trying to kiss him, but it was hard to do it properly. She was smiling too much. The one or two people on the sidewalk seemed to hurry their pace, but other than that there was no big outburst. "I don't think I've ever been on such an empty street," she commented once she broke away.

* * *

Ed gave up and pressed his forehead against hers lightly. "Privacy is nice now and then." Being the center of stares was fun as long as the people just gasped and moved on. He hadn't felt right on the other street. The shade was nice too. It was much better here.

* * *

Cha-Cha closed her eyes, kissing him again. Hey remember when they couldn't even hold hands walking down the street...? Neither did she. Those days wre thankfully over. She liked random makeout sessions better. "Mmhm. Hard to get privacy on the street," she mumbled, "but this is nice."

* * *

"This doesn't really count as a street. So it sorta works." Indeed times were much better.

* * *

"True," Cha-Cha mumbled, her hands coming up to touch his face gently. Though at the moment, he could lead her into a busy intersection if he wanted to. As long as he kept kissing her that way. "Here's the thing though. When you talk about the alley we're in or anything..your lips aren't touching mine. And that's a problem," she informed him, kissing him gently.

* * *

"Well you started laughing." His lips stayed close to her as he talked so she wouldn't complain about talking now. Or as much, anyway. "What was I supposed to do?"

* * *

"I wasn't laughing, I was smiling," Cha-Cha laughed. She leaned in to bite his lip gently before letting go. Penance for getting it wrong. "You're supposed to love it when I smile, anyway. Think it's beautiful," she reminded him.

* * *

"It _is_ beautiful. But it was interfering. There's a time and place for everything." His laughing eyes gave him away. She was encouraged to smile twenty-four seven.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled again, "Fine then." What followed was her attempt at keeping a serious face. She bit the insides of her mouth. Tried to force it into a straight line. The corners twitched up after a few seconds and she brought her hand up to cover her giggles. It was hard, okay??

* * *

Ed batted the hand away. "Admit it, you can't keep a straight face." Unless she was seriously pissed off, that girl couldn't help but smile, however obvious or shy it may be. "You ready to move on?" he asked, wondering if they were going to continue shopping or actually do the beach idea.

* * *

"Yes I can," Cha-Cha protested. Broke into another giggle a few seconds later. She swore she could though!! Sometimes. When she was...sleeping...? If she wasn;t having a particularily good dream. She laughed at herself, shaking her head. She nodded eventually, taking his hand. "To the beach?"

* * *

"Stop at the hotel room?" Just a small inconvenience. They weren't dressed for it.

"You going in the water again this time or are we staying on the sand?"

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, beginning to head back towards the car. "Depends on how bored I get on the sand," she grinned. If they were actually putting the plan into action, she doubted it would happen. It was hard for her to get bored when Ed Green was on top of her.

* * *

For the most part Ed had been joking about rolling her around in the sand. He didn't want to get arrested. Playing around in the water and kissing her on the street was still something for him to get used to. And he was, quite fast. But still, he knew just lounging under the sun would be enough to unsettle some visitors. Hold hands and they'd have their own twelve foot radius of sand to themselves.

* * *

Before long they were almost back to the hotel, Cha-Cha with her bear in her lap. "I like this," she commented. "He's sort of like a pet I don't have to feed. Or walk. And that doesn't poop. And I can make him tapdance!" she added, moving the bear's feet up and down on her lap.

* * *

"The poor guy." Tap dancing. "I think he'd prefer to be a girl if you want your bear to dance." Otherwise the little animals self esteem would plummet.

Actually Ed was envious of the bears current position. That attention stealing bag of fluff was in her lap already. It sickened him to acknowledge this feeling. Jealous of a toy? Really? But who was supposed to be receiving her love again?

* * *

"What? No. He's Ed Astaire!" Cha-Cha laughed, making the bear do a flying leap on her lap. He took a nose dive. Paused in mid air. Flipped and landed perfectly on his feet, on her lap. Eddie II was a very talented bear.

* * *

"Okay Cha-Cha." Whatever you say. Ed watched her play with the thing the entire way back to the hotel. As he stepped out of the car he decided the bear was sleeping on the couch. She'd probably hug it to sleep and not him at the rate they were bonding.

* * *

By the end of the car ride, Eddie II was singing 'There's No Business Like Show Business' while doing the splits and other impossible flexible moves. One of the great things about being a stuffed toy. "He's almost a better dancer than I am," she laughed as she got out of the car. "Almost," she added quickly.

* * *

"I wouldn't know." He'd never gone to see her dance at the club. Whenever she danced on home he dragged her down after ten seconds. "But if you're so 'famous' I assume you must be good." He had been convinced after those ten seconds.

* * *

"I am good. You have to come see me," Cha-Cha reminded him, bumping her hip against his lightly. "Hotel first?" she added, looking up. She wondered where this other beach was going to be found. She felt awfully unwelcome at theirs, plus their sandcastle got ruined!

* * *

He'd only been joking, she was probably a lot better than 'good'. "I know, I will, eventually." Had to be a day when he wasn't the least bit angry or annoyed. He knew crowds could be inappropriate. Somehow he'd have to chose a day when that wouldn't bother him enough to do something. Or a rash something.

* * *

Cha-Cha opened the door to the hotel, keeping it open for him. "We do alot of old songs, so you'll probably be able to sing along," she told him. Whether he'd want to sing along to Material Girl was another question, but...

* * *

"I think I'll be content just watching." He was not a singer. Even mouthing along wouldn't happen.

In the room they changed, and after they went back to the beach. If they walked a little ways down they'd be off their hotels property.

* * *

Cha-Cha was back in her two piece, barefoot with an arm around his waist. "So what's the plan again?" she asked to make sure. Sex on the beach sounded appealing, but it was both illegal and...uncomfortable. Unless it happened on a towel? Still, being who they were, they didn't have to go that far to upset people.

* * *

Ed had a feeling modesty would kick in and she wouldn't have gone that far anyway. "Well I don't want to go to jail. So a few things are out. And there are just some things I wouldn't do anyway," he added. He was getting better at not hiding in the corners of restaurants, but no way. Had to draw the line eventually. "But I can follow your lead for a while. Would you like to enjoy the beach a little first?" At least pretend they weren't horrible people intentionally bothering guests.

* * *

Ed would be surprised how little modesty she had sometimes. "I would love to enjoy you on the beach," she grinned, squeezing her arm around his waist. Freudian slip, of course. Nothing more. Shaking her head, she added, "I need to tan. I'm pale as snow." Very dark snow, but...

* * *

Her, pale? "Snow isn't how I would put it, hun." He'd agree anyway. No chance of winning that argument. But lying in the sun would help relax. It might be the last afternoon for it, who knew what plans he'd have for Sunday.

* * *

A little bit further, and they were off hotel property. Cha-Cha picked a spot close enough to the water, and set one of their beach towels down. "Does that lifeguard look like a jerk, do you think?" she asked, squinting to see the man.

* * *

"Nah." Seemed fine enough looking. "If we're lucky it's a girls shift soon," he grumbled, not really sure if he'd prefer that or not. Lifeguards were normally young. Young girls had a thing for gay guys. It was weird. Really weird. But could come in handy.

* * *

"Mm," Cha-Cha nodded, getting what Ed was talking about. She swore she was going to get eaten by sixteen year olds one day. It was a little frightening. "Well, least we won't get kicked off the beach," she shrugged, lying down on her stomach.

* * *

Ed watched her and was amazed at how she could easily pass as a woman laying the way she was. Similar to that commercial, the product long forgotten, with the group of guys accidentally drooling over a long haired man. Until she moved much they might not be bothered.

* * *

Cha-Cha adjusted herself a bit, looking up at him. "Whatcha staring at?" she asked, pulling him down towards her gently. No, he didn't need a tan, and neither did she exactly. But the sun still felt good beating down on her, and she'd feel even better when she was next to him.

* * *

Ed smiled and laid on his back beside her. "You. Nothing unusual about that." One hand played around with the sand. New York City needed more sand, he decided.

* * *

"That's true," Cha-Cha teased, closing her eyes. She sighed deeply, completely relaxed. Even if they got kicked off the beach then and there, she wouldn't be able to leave. She could even fall asleep there, she was so comfortable. It would be almost mean to make her move.

* * *

"If we fall asleep, will you burn?" He never burned. No matter how long he was out. Ed didn't have suntan lotion on him. He didn't notice her with any either. They were both probably too lazy to retrieve some if they indeed were without it. But at least he sounded considerate.

* * *

Cha-Cha was known to burn in the summertime. "Probably," she sighed. It was hard to care when she was so comfortable, even though she knew she'd regret it later. "I think there's some sunscreen in the beach bag," she added, nodding slightly at the large purse.

* * *

She made no other movement. "Would you like me to get it?" he asked with a laugh. Well he would have offered to rub it on her anyway. Leaning over her carefully he fished around in the bag for the lotion.

* * *

"Mmhmm. Wait," she sighed, lifting her arms to reach behind her. She carefully undid the back of her top, laying them at either side of her. She didn't want tan lines. Hey, it wasn't like her top was covering anything. She was allowed to be as shirtless as he was. "Kay. Work your magic, baby," she grinned, eyes still closed.

* * *

Yes, as a matter of fact it does take over fifteen minutes to get just someones back done. The rest of her went a little faster, but not by much. It was waterproof, but after they went swimming, if they did this time, it would need to be reapplied. Just to be safe.

When he was done he returned to his previous position, laying on his back.

* * *

The massage alone was enough to put her asleep. Once he was back down she scooted closer to him, draping an arm around his waist. "I dunno what time it is," she mumbled, "but I'm out for the night. Wake me up tomorrow, mkay?" she smiled.

* * *

He chuckled. "I'm waking you up for dinner. Unless you'd rather sleep out here at night while I eat." Ed glanced at the arm over him. "It's a good thing tans don't really show up on me, or I'd have a weird design."

* * *

Cha-Cha giggledm, bending her elbow to lay her arm flat against his chest. "You'd have a me design. It'd be like those shirts kids can make with their handprints... 'Best Grandma Ever', 'Mommy's Little Angels'...you could be 'Property of One Hot Queen'. Or 'World's Best Pillow', she laughed, tracing her nails against his chest lightly.

* * *

He laughed. "Well I'd be original I guess." Few would have that on them. He yawned. "Great. Middle of the afternoon and you've got me tired too."

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, rubbing his chest soothingly. "Do it, lover. Sleep with me, come to the dark side." She laughed even harder when she realized what she'd said, rolling over to get closer to him.

* * *

"Watch your top, hun," he pointed out. Rolling over with it untied might not be a good idea. Not that it mattered if it covered anything, like she thought before, but laying on it wrinkled wouldn't be comfortable. "And since when are you the dark side, anyway." Most of the time she tried to convince him she was some little angel.

* * *

Cha-Cha snorted, shrugging. "You can take it off if you want. It'll only give me tan lines," she decided. On her side, she shifted a bit away from him and held her arms out so he could slide the top off easily. "Since always. I'm the devil, baby. I'm just so beautiful, you never noticed," she teased.

* * *

"I can believe at night, but it's still daylight." She teased him just as much as he did her when they crawled into bed. A match made in...heaven? "You're supposed to be nice now, aren't you?"

* * *

Cha-Cha shook her head. "I'm never nice. It's all a clever ploy to confuse you," she grinned, holding her arms out more insistantly. He still hadn't taken it off yet. She needed his assitance.

* * *

Alright, alright, he was getting to it. He slipped it off and threw it to the bag. "Well it worked. Now shush, I'm sleeping." The sun. The water. The annoying children screaming. What could be better?

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, shifting back against him, her head against his chest. One of her legs ended up draped over both of his, her hand resting beside her head. "There. Now you'll have a funny tan," she grinned.

* * *

"I thought you wanted a nice one. Only half of you is going to get color if you lay that way. And it's way to hot for this," he said, not trying to get her off at all. Closing his eyes he was thankful no weird design would actually show up.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, exasperated. How to win both ways? Finally her mind was made up, and she climbed onto him fully, lyding down on her stomach so it was pressed against his. "There we go. Night baby," she kissed his lips gently, putting her head back down. Her whole weight was rested on his body but hey, she was comfortable.

* * *

Ed grunted as she moved around. When she was done he laid there wondering how he ended up being a body pillow. "This won't draw attention at all," he said sarcastically. But then again, the way she was laying... Oh great. So instead of a drag queen he had a topless woman laying on him. Like that would draw less attention.

* * *

"Wasn't that our goal?" Cha-Cha reminded him, leaning down to kiss him again. Comfy as she was, causing mischief was just as rewarding. From behind her back, a few teenage boys were watching the woman on top of Ed curiously, trying to be discreet about it. And failing.

* * *

"Yeah, you're right. But for being the one who wants to start something, this isn't fair. Because I'm the one they're looking at." He lazily traced a hand up and down her side and along her back. Moving enough so he didn't interfere with her precious tan.

* * *

Cha-Cha cocked her head, rubbing smooth circles on his chest with her hands. "Why are they looking at you? I'm on top." One would think someone's eyes would go to her first off.

* * *

"Well no one is going to complain about _you_." It was always the man's fault. Most likely because of envy. He took her hands and set them beside her. "If you wiggle around too much you might fall off." Although if she landed on her back the boys would be in for a surprise when they saw her.

* * *

Cha-Cha had a quick solve to that problem. She kneeled with a leg at either side of him, steadying herself. "There," she grinned, leaning down to kiss him deeply. What? They were two very innocent beach goers. Getting the perfect tan. What was wrong with that?

* * *

As Ed returned it, he watched the guys out of the corner of his eye. Really, instead of eying Ed's girl why didn't they just go find their own? Not like she'd lay on them if they stood their long enough or anything. "Well don't _you_ have an answer to everything?"

* * *

"Why yes, I do, Ed. Gotta problem with that?" Cha-Cha giggled, loving how silly they were being. A silly Ed was a good Ed. Especially after the night before, the week before, the last couple of months before, it was nice to see him so carefree.

* * *

"Not really." He was getting hot, and stopped playing with her to lay his arms out wide. Cool them off at least. "Let me know when you want to flip over," he said.

* * *

Cha-Cha yawned, sitting up to stretch a bit before laying down. Gave some people a good view of her chest. Probably scarred those teenagers for life. Oh well. She snuggled back down against him, closing her eyes.

* * *

Ed grinned. "Sweetheart your fan club suddenly had to run off. Looks like I get you all to myself again." He laid an arm around across her lower back.

* * *

"Whoops. Was an accident," Cha-Cha mumbled, not too concerned. Poor boys. She was never what they expected her to be--she was always better than that in her opinion, but that was just her.

* * *

"More will be around soon, I'm sure. Now I'm old, senior citizens like me need naps. Sit _still_." Ed faked a yawn and tried to relax, which was hard because it was a little difficult to breath properly.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed harder, her whole body shaking on top of his. "You're not actually that old," she admitted finally, pressing her mouth against his collarbone, dipping a bit lower. "You still work, most parts of you. Good enough for me," she grinned.

* * *

"Stop that," he chuckled, pushing on her shoulders. "I was just kidding about sex on the beach." But that did feel good.

* * *

It had been over seventy two hours since they'd last slept together. They were lying together on the hot sand, half naked. She was on top of him. Modesty was soon forgotten. Before long her mouth was at his mid-chest, and there was more than one family retreating to the other side of the beach.

* * *

He had never insisted she get off him before, but he was actually enjoying the beach. He didn't want to be chased off, he was comfy. But he wouldn't complain much. "What about tanning?" he laughed. Ed reached for her, hoping to bring her mouth up to his. If he couldn't stop her, at least it'd be reasonably family friendly.

* * *

Cha-Cha returned the kiss, trying to guide his hands onto her. "You don't need a tan," she reminded him. "I don't need a tan," she finally admitted. She could think of a few things she did need, though. Cha-Cha very much had a one track mind.

* * *

Ed didn't need much coaxing. His hands moved wherever they pleased. But if they did much more this could get illegal. Eventually indecent exposure would be accused. "Either we cool it and enjoy the sun or take this back to the hotel room." His vote went for the room. The walk back might calm them down, but it would be easy enough to get right back to this.

* * *

"Stand up, Ed," Cha-Cha instructed, getting up herself. Like she had to think twice. The sand was nice, but...it was hard to beat Ed Green. Especially after three whole days.

* * *

He smirked at the commanding tone. Took his time shaking off sand and getting up. Took a deep breath without something on his chest. Stretched. What a gorgeous day.

* * *

Was this necessary? "Come on Ed, let's _go_," she insisted, getting the towel and throwing it over her arm. She did not have time to goof off. Wasn't about to get teased. This was urgent.

* * *

Ed had to start things more than half the time. Had to put up with her whining before and even after. He'd stroll along the sidewalk to their hotel at whatever pace he wanted. "What, do you want to run or something?" he asked after she keep bouncing around.

* * *

Not a good idea. "Ed. Let's go," she fumed, grabbing for his hand. No way was he doing this. Not now. Not after three days. "I swear Ed. I will go alone if you tease me right now."

* * *

"Okay," he laughed, hurrying up. "But know you know how _I_ feel every night." A few hours felt like a few days for him. Such a man. He should make her wait three days more often. It was nice not being the one dying for a change.

* * *

Pah, like he could wait three days in a regular week. This was a special occasion. "Honey, you can jump on me every night if you want to. Just never make me wait this long again," she groaned. A promise she'd probably regret later on. Though then again, it was already pretty close to once a night. Sometimes more.

* * *

"Normal human beings can function just fine after three days," he chuckled. Ed planned on taking advantage of that promise, by the way. "Can I get that in writing?" Speed walking the way they were they'd be back to their hotel soon.

* * *

"I am not a normal human being!" Cha-Cha pointed out the obvious, dragging him towards the hotel. "I, Cha-Cha de los Santos...whatever-the-hell-my-name-is," it was hard to think at the moment. "...hereby pass over my...good nights of sleep to Edward Green so that he can fulfill himself. There, oral contract, happy?" Oral. Wow, words that she did not need in her head at the moment.

* * *

"Delighted. The future seems so much brighter now." Eventually they got there, and he quit stalling. He was just as eager as she was, but if she could pretend to be uninterested now and then, so could he. After a few seconds of searching for the room key he let them in.

* * *

Cha-Cha slammed the door behind them, wasting no time in jumping on the bed. She'd had motel sex. Not just motel sex--broken down, seedy motel sex. An interesting experience but a gross one. This was all new to her, and she intended to make the most of it. They were coming off a dry spell, so it was already bound to be good.

* * *

The look in her eyes told him he was dead if he tried anything like suggesting they go for a swim instead. No, he was smart enough to follow after her. Not to mention he had a strong desire to get this show on the road as well.


	23. Meeting Melissa

Meeting Melissa

Ed rolled over and looked at the time. They'd have to leave soon to make dinner on time. As comfortable as they were they'd have to move. How depressing.

"Cha-Cha," he began, "you need to get off me, we gotta get up."

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, nuzzling his neck slightly. "Mmno," she mumbled, rolling herself in the opposite direction. It wasn't time to get up yet. She was too happy to lie with him, nothing in the world could make her move.

Her stomach grumbled slightly, reminding her she hadn't eaten since breakfast, other than ice cream.

* * *

"It's not like we were sleeping and I'm waking you up, honey," he laughed. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed he got up, hunting for clothes. Tonight would either be boring with everyone sitting around, awkwardly quiet, or loud with Melissa not caring mom was there.

* * *

"No, but I'm comfy," Cha-Cha sighed. They'd done enough for the day. Couldn't they just relax now? She groaned as he got up and reluctantly followed suit, opening her suitcase. She was moving noticeably slower than before, yawning into her wrist. "What time is your mom expecting us again? And is your dad gonna be there?"

* * *

"'Dinnertime' was what I was told. So whenever we decide it's dinner time. And Dad won't be there. He's golfing." Ed found suitable clothes and changed into them, laughing at her sluggishness. "I shouldn't have worn you out, mom is going to think you're always this mellow."

* * *

Cha-Cha rolled her eyes, laughing. She'd be fine later on. The nerves alone would probably wake her up. "Do I need a shower?" she asked herself aloud, thinking about it. She'd showered that morning, but had since swam in the ocean and had sex. She shrugged, heading to the bathroom to take a quick one. Her short hair would dry quickly.

Which posed another question. "Ed, what do I wear?" her eyes widened. Would a wig make her uncomfortable? Would her short hair and drag be worse?

* * *

"Whatever you want. Whatever you would normally wear. Cliche, but be yourself. If you want my personal opinion I like your short hair." Wigs were awesome, but there was something about her natural hair they couldn't beat.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, hopping in for a fast shower. Be herself, sure, but not quite as crazy as herself, right? Maybe she had a longer skirt. Or even better, pants! Cha-Cha wore pants sometimes. They were often leather or leopard-print, but they covered more than alot of her bottoms. She stepped out ten minutes later, rushing to get an outfit put together.

* * *

"What did you decide on?" he asked. Ed looked normal for the most part. Detective normal. He wasn't in a real hurry. Fashionably late wasn't bad. "Calm down hun, we have time."

* * *

"Pants," Cha-Cha replied, searching in her bag. She'd brought them, in case it got cold outside and he insisted. She wasn't planning on wearing them. Finally she found them, zebra print with pink fuzz at the ankles. It could've been worse? "And...short hair, I guess, like you said."

* * *

"I didn't know you brought any," he said, actually amazed. He didn't recall seeing zebra print often. Ed smiled. She'd make an impression. "I can't remember the last time you wore any."

* * *

"I almost forgot I did," Cha-Cha admitted, changing quickly. A tank top was the least flashy thing she had, even though it was gold and shiny. She didn't even own anything less eye-catching. "I know you like my legs," she grinned.

* * *

"So you _hide_ them from me?" he asked. How unfair. But she looked great. Not too overwhelming.

* * *

"I don't hide them. I just don't wear them as often cause I know you like the short stuff," Cha-Cha replied, doing a twirl. They weren't short, but they were tight. She just couldn't win, could she? But they'd have to do.

* * *

"I meant your legs right now." Although the pants were tight enough to make it look like she simply was zebra printed herself. "I have to admit I could get used to these though. Where do you find stuff like this?"

* * *

"Thrift stores," Cha-Cha replied. These pants in question couldn't have cost her more than three dollars. "Then Miss Rusty washes them for us, and does alterations. I think she put the fuzz on these. You know, just stuff to make it a little more...not boring." Most Miss Flawless dresses started out plain, the sparkle and decoration added by the girls' 'mama'.

* * *

"But where do the thrift stores get them?" It was mainly a rhetorical question. "You have the most creative clothes," he marveled. Her combinations were mind boggling.

* * *

"I don't know," Cha-Cha giggled. She didn't have the answer to everything. She always just assumed somebody who really liked her wanted them to fall into her hands. "Thank you lover. Live to be original," she smiled, checking herself out in the mirror. After a coat of makeup, she'd be perfect. Probably wouldn't wear as much as normal, just a base foundation, mascara, and a lipstick. Didn't want to come on too, too strong.

* * *

When they were both satisfied with how they looked, off they went. With just under an hours drive ahead of them, he wondered if it would be enough for the 'are we there yet's to arise. Maybe that would keep her too busy to worry? After a few minutes he said, "If you don't like it we can leave whenever you want."

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, fingering the zipper on her purse. How bad could it be, right? Just be herself. He wouldn't leave her just because his mother didn't like her. Still, it would be nice if his mother sort of liked her. "At least your father won't be there," she sighed. "Will I ever meet him do you think?"

* * *

"Eventually. Maybe. If I think he deserves an introduction." Currently he hadn't earned it. If he still didn't like the idea of her, he was not meeting the real thing. "Will I ever meet yours?"

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded. "I think you should. Again, he doesn't care that I'm gay. And you're a good person, as far as boyfriends go. You've got all the bases covered. I think he'd like you." Maybe dinner with him sometime?

* * *

"A father who doesn't care. This I have to see for myself." Some of his old lovers parents hadn't really cared, but Ed also hadn't really cared about them. But he'd like Cha-Cha's to approve of him.

* * *

"Nope. Not about you anyway. I'll have to dress sort of...manly," she admitted. Not her favourite thing to do. But it was worth it, to keep her dad on her side. "You'll have to meet my brother too. I really think they'll like you."

* * *

"Hopefully," he smiled. At any rate it sounded like a better shot than his parents. Melissa was bouncing off the walls in anticipation. Mom was probably regretting agreeing to it but would put on a polite front. She always met whoever Ed was dating. Determined to try to be a part of her sons life however uncomfortable she may feel.

* * *

"You can meet Holly too," Cha-Cha added. If he wanted a neice, Javier's daughter would sort of be like that. Ed would sort of be her uncle. He would be if they were married...which they weren't. But still...anyway...

* * *

"Holly?" he asked. Ed couldn't recall ever hearing that name before. He assumed it was a family member, but other than that...

* * *

"My neice," Cha-Cha clarified. "And she'll probably be your neice, too. Close enough, anyway. She's only...two or three now, but she's cute. Oh and Ellen too, her mother." They weren't much, but they were really all she had in terms of real family. Ellen was a little shy around her unconventional sister-in-law, but a nice person anyway. And Holly...was cuter than Cha-Cha liked to admit.

* * *

Ed nodded. Holly and Ellen. He wouldn't turn down a niece opportunity.

Time goes by fast when you're dreading something. Well, not dreading exactly, but he was nervous for her. They were in the parking lot of the restaurant before he knew it. Pausing before he got out, he leaned over to give her a quick kiss.

* * *

Cha-Cha returned the kiss, sighing softly. There went nothing. Nothing would change between them if his family didn't like her. She knew that. But that didn't mean she wanted the night to be a disaster. "Anything I should look out for?" she asked. "Like...things I shouldn't mention, subjects I shouldn't bring up...?" she imagined her shopping trips with the girls and her sex life would be out. What else was there to talk about, though?

* * *

"Hmm. Well I assume you know she isn't interested in what we're doing in our hotel room." The woman assumed he slept with his partners, didn't need the details. "Other than that, you should be fine." He got out and waited for her, then lead the way to find their table inside.

* * *

Cha-Cha kept close to him, looking for people that looked like Ed. Ed wouldn't be a very pretty girl though, and she hoped he looked mostly like his father. For the sake of those women, she hoped he looked like his father.

* * *

You could see the resemblance, but no, it wasn't Ed in a skirt. They were as pretty as Ed was handsome. Melissa looked younger than Ed, something she loved and he hated.

When she saw him she beamed and jumped up. "Ed, did she actually come with you?" she asked excitedly. He'd said no promises when he talked to his sister earlier. He rolled his eyes. Didn't she notice the person behind him? He scooted aside a little in the aisle for all of Cha-Cha to be visible. Melissa's eyes widened in surprise, but light up in delight in a second. She hadn't been given an age.

* * *

Ed's sister was pretty, and Cha-Cha smiled as soon as Melissa did. One down, one to go. "Hi," she waved, feeling a little more confident. She got no bitch-look or frown, which was a good sign. She wasn't sure how much Ed had told Melissa about her.

* * *

Melissa shook Cha-Cha's hand. Didn't offer her hand. Simply took the drag queens hand in hers, shaking as she talked. "Hi," she echoed. "I'm Melissa, Ed's sister. This is our mother, Carrie Green. Mom do you want her to call you Carrie or Mrs. Green?" She still hadn't let go even though she'd turned to face the older woman.

"Melissa, _Melissa_," Ed laughed. "Let go."

* * *

Cha-Cha was laughing all through the shake. She liked enthusiasm. "I'm Cha-Cha de los Santos Perez Cueva. Ed's...well I'm sure you've heard by now," she wasn't sure which word to use. Boyfriend or girlfriend. Lover sounded too...personal or something.

The woman at the table was much less enthusiastic, but was trying to be pleasant. Trying very hard. "Carrie is fine," she replied reluctantly after a moment, .

* * *

Ed and his mother exchanged greetings. As they started to sit, Melissa moved behind Cha-Cha for a moment, mouthing 'oh my god!' to Ed. He would take that as Cha-Cha passed the physical test so far. She did look adorable.

Mrs. Green smiled at Cha-Cha and asked how she was enjoying Virginia so far.

* * *

Secretly, Cha-Cha hoped Ed would sit down beside her. Not that she didn't want to sit with Melissa, but she needed somebody to kick her if her mouth started moving before her brain. "It's beautiful," Cha-Cha replied, her brain censors working over time. "The beaches are...fun," she added slowly. She wasn't going to mention getting kicked out, but she wasn't lying, either. "And...where did you take me today Ed, the villiage? With the huge toy store and ice cream place?" And oh yeah, some historical landmarks.

* * *

"Colonial Williamsburg." Ed did kick Melissa out of the seat beside Cha-Cha. Honestly, don't suffocate her. Only he was allowed to do that, please.

Mrs. Green nodded. "We used to do the ghost tours..."

"Melissa would cry every time," he snickered.

"I did not!" The joy of siblings.

* * *

"Why would you cry?" Cha-Cha laughed. "I was upset there wasn't a king and queen too. Didn't cry over it though," she shook her head, giggling. Any historical significance was lost on Cha-Cha, the connection not made. Probably one of those moments where Ed should kick her.

* * *

"Because we're out there at like, eleven at night, can't see where you're going, you got this creepy old man telling you ghost stories about wounded soldiers and kids in cemeteries-"

"But we never actually passed a cemetery."

"That's not the point!" Melissa looked spooked just remembering the stories. "The one where they talked about the uh, um, what is it called, when you have the casket in the back? And the horses would pull it to the cemetery _not that far away_. Do you remember when we walked the path it took?"

"The odds of that actually being the path is hard to believe." He loved being difficult when she was flustered.

"And the people had a horse going down the street next to us to make you think the ghost was there?! That was horrifying for a little kid."

Ed's mother finally joined in with, "Melissa, we thought you were old enough. Ed was only nine and he didn't believe a word of it."

* * *

Cha-Cha listened intently, eyes wide. "Ed didn't tell me about all that," she admitted. Since when were there ghosts? And how was Ed not afraid of that? She had to agree with Melissa, that would be horrifying. Like a scary movie, only scarier because it'd be real. Cha-Cha was never good with haunted houses and the like. "Why didn't we go on a ghost tour or something?" she asked Ed. It would've been scary, but cool too.

* * *

"Because they're only at night, and it didn't cross my mind yesterday." They were a little busy yelling at each other. "We can tonight if you want. But if you're as gullible as her-"Melissa snorted "-you might not make it through the whole thing." Ed had found it hilarious and interesting while his sister had dragged their father away to sit on a bench until it was over. "They only walk you up and down the streets, it's not like you're the woods."

"There was that little cemetery by the church, now that I think about it," Mrs. Green added in defense of her daughter.

"Okay, okay, you win, it was terrifying." Girls. What good were they?

* * *

"It sounds terrifying," Cha-Cha agreed. Well it did! Plus it was something she could relate to the other women with. Not a huge thing, but every thing helped. Things seemed to be stepping off on a pretty good foot. She figured she had Melissa in the bag though; it was just the mother she'd have to work on. "I don't listen to Ed on these things. He's the only person I know who doesn't jump in scary movies," or at least, not that she'd ever seen. Usually she was too into them to pay attention to him.

* * *

A waitress appeared and they ordered drinks. Ed was relieved that initial impressions were good. Mom was quiet and looked at Cha-Cha a little quizzically whenever she thought the drag queen was distracted, but still it seemed alright for the most part.

"And your taste in movies is much better?" he asked Cha-Cha.

* * *

"I'm just saying, honey, there's a reason Shakespeare in Love won the Oscar and Saving Private Ryan didn't," Cha-Cha shrugged. She had no idea if that was true or not, but it sounded good. How could you prefer spilling guts over a gut-wrenching romance? Though she would admit some of that was pretty cool. But it was too traumatic to see Joe Fox die!

* * *

He'd go with that, he had no idea. Probably not true but what did it matter? "Then you can watch romance in the living room and I'll watch my movies in the bedroom." Psh. That wouldn't last long.

* * *

Cha-Cha shook her head, laughing. "Okay, baby. I think that's dumb though. I mean, you like some romance," she reminded him. "You've Got Mail is one of your favourites."

Melissa snorted from the other side of the table, raising her eyebrows at her brother. "It is?"

* * *

She would remember that, wouldn't she. "Yes it is." Denying it would only make it worse.

"We used to watch that together when your father was out," his mother said, finally starting to lighten up. Nearing the point where it looked like the woman might be capable of smiling. Okay, so props to Cha-Cha for bringing that up after all. "But I haven't seen it since you left." Ed preferred the word 'moved' over 'left' but what can you do?

* * *

"It's a good one," Cha-Cha smiled at Ed's mother, her palms pressed together in her lap. She liked this. They were talking already, without a big awkward silence. Maybe this dinner wouldn't be so hard after all.

"I didn't realize it made such a lasting impression," Melissa teased.

* * *

Ed rolled his eyes and changed the subject. Better yet, he studied the menu. Less chance he'd get cornered into admitting he liked something else.

* * *

Cha-Cha didn't know what to order, and figured pasta would be pretty harmless. "So, um..." she thought out loud, trying to keep a converstion going. "Melissa, Ed tells me you're a..." she trailed off. Had Ed ever mentioned her career, or...anything? "...uh...his sister."

* * *

"Oh he _did_, huh? Well I'm glad you got that much out of him. Last time someone made it down here they didn't even know I existed. And if it was meet the family time you'd _think_ a sister would be mentioned." Melissa's tone was firm, trying hard to conceal a grin.

Ed put his menu down. "I told you I was sorry. You don't really come up in conversations."

"How do you talk about family and end up unable to fit me in?"

"I...don't really..." He willed himself not to awkwardly look at his mother. Unless provoked by a phone call or specifically asked, family wasn't talked about. "...you didn't come up, okay?"

"Okay, I was only joking."So you're younger?" Cha-Cha asked. She knew Ed was younger, but...she didn't need to win over Ed. Besides, she couldn't lie, he really did look older. He looked good, but more mature than Melissa. It wouldn't be hard to forget that, and the personalities didn't help either.

* * *

Melissa grinned, flattered she looked the part of younger child. "No, I'm actually older."

"Could have fooled me with the way you act," Ed smirked.

Mrs. Green once again stepped in to defend her daughter, and Ed stopped teasing as much. It bugged him how Melissa and his father both got defended, but Ed always should know better.

* * *

Cha-Cha could see the favouritism Ed talked about within ten minutes. It left her with less to talk about, not wanting to offend anybody. "Well, Ed's mature for his age," she said finally, speaking as though she too were older than him. Well it was true! Not that Melissa wasn't mature or anything, just...

* * *

"Thank you," he said, relieved somebody would side with him. Finally.

His sister nodded, oblivious to the fact that mom helping out in a conversation wasn't usual. "I can be when I need to," she said, not to be outdone. "Ed just brings out he worst in me. I can't be serious for a minute around him. Go right back to old sibling rivalries."

"Remind yourself we aren't preteens and you should be fine."

Melissa pouted slightly. "But I miss being a kid. I never see you anymore. I have no one to argue with."

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, knowing the feeling. Except she never really got past that preteen state, at all. Hence how giggly she was. Or was that nerves talking? "Did you two argue alot?" she asked. Melissa seemed to be a little like her; energetic enough. She knew they were siblings and all and siblings fought, but she liked to see they were at least a little close.

* * *

"All the time," Ed answered. "But most of the time I don't think we really meant it. I just liked bugging you," he told her.

"I noticed. And it wasn't all the time," she said, disagreeing.

Ed sighed. The typical response. "You only say that so we'll argue about it now."

* * *

"I am not!" Melissa disagreed further, finding it hard not to laugh. Cha-Cha felt the same way.

"Was Ed mean to you?" she added, actually curious. Ed just seemed like he'd be mean sometimes. Lovable, but mean. Like...hair-pulling, doll-stealing mean. But again, he was younger, so maybe Melissa had the upper hand. She kept forgetting the age difference.

* * *

"Why would you think that?" he asked. He wasn't that bad!

Ed's mother answered. "He'd always follow her around."

"That doesn't make me mean."

"You took my stuff," Melissa said.

"Like you left me compeltely alone." He had had his favorite toy a grand total of three and a half days.

* * *

"Did he make fun of you? He makes fun of me," Cha-Cha asked. Well, it was true! Sometimes. He pointed out when she was wrong. "Only to be honest, I think I deserve it," she admitted with a laugh. She was mean right back, after all.

* * *

Ed snorted. "You _know_ you deserve it."

"Ed, be polite," Melissa snickered. He rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Yeah, Ed, be polite!" Cha-Cha looked at him accusingly, trying not to laugh. It would ruin the effect. "What's that supposed to mean anyway? I am extremely nice to you. Too nice, actually. What would you do without me?"

Carrie looked like she wanted to answer Cha-Cha's question, but stopped herself.

* * *

He chuckled and picked up his drink. "I'm not going to answer that. I value my life." He took a sip and was grateful his mother had stayed quiet. He could only imagine her response.

* * *

"Good boy," Cha-Cha smirked, squeezing his knee under the table. Well, so far so good, right? She'd missed the look on his mother's face, and was taking Carrie's silence as a somewhat good thing. It wasn't insulting, or arguing or yelling, or anything like that. Of course, Cha-Cha sometimes mistook uncomfortable silence for content silence.

Melissa giggled at 'good boy'. It was funny to see her brother getting talked to that way, when with most people he wouldn't stand for it.

* * *

Definitely wouldn't have let anyone else say that to him. Even Melissa would have gotten at least a dirty look. But he just shrugged and took it. She was allowed.

Carrie raised an eyebrow at the change of attitude though. What had happened to the smart alec son of hers? She wasn't fond of the chosen expression either.

* * *

Feeling confident, Cha-Cha tried to keep the conversation going. "I guess you're pretty nice most of the time," she said begrudgingly. "He doesn't pull hair or anything. Yet."

"Surprising!" Melissa replied. "I think he must be nicer to you than he is to me. I'm your sister, Ed," she sniffled, though it was clear she didn't mind too much. She was his sister, he was supposed to tease her.

* * *

Cha-Cha favoured? "That's definitely true," he smirked. His mother obviously frowned at that, but he didn't care. Weren't you supposed to treat your lover better than anyone else? Besides he never even saw Melissa anymore, how could he really be that mean to her now?

* * *

"Hey!" Melissa giggled, shaking her head. Turning to Cha-Cha, she added, "wait 'till you have to live with him for eighteen years. _Then_ you'll get what I'm talking about."

"Honey, I've barely lived with him for three months. Gimme a little time," she begged with a laugh. Eighteen years. How old would they be in eighteen years? Thirty five plus eight...actually, it was best not to think about it.

"You two live together?" Melissa asked, having either forgotten, or not been informed.

* * *

"Yeah," Ed answered. Hadn't someone told her by now? He swore he called her. If not dad should have called her to scream about him to her. "I called you, didn't I?" Had he really forgotten? Oh maybe he hadn't talked to her lately.

* * *

"Yeah, you said you were dating a girl, dad wasn't impressed, I didn't hear she lived with you," Melissa told him. It wasn't that big a deal, but it proved Ed and Cha-Cha were way more serious than she thought they were. That wasn't really seeming like such a bad thing though. Of course her mother thought otherwise, her mouth in a thin straight line, expression unchanging.

* * *

"'Dad wasn't impressed' is drastically understating it," he sighed.

"_Edward_." He really hated that his mother failed to call him Ed. He could tell she didn't like him saying his father didn't approve of Cha-Cha in front of Cha-Cha herself.

"What, mom, she knows." He hadn't lied and said his father would love her or anything.

* * *

For once in her life, Cha-Cha's brain censors seemed to be doing her job. She stopped herself before she could say anything insulting about his father. Maybe later. While Ed would probably laugh, they were at the table with the man's wife and favourite child. Not a smart move. "I realize I'm not everybody's favourite person," she lied with a forced smile. "But I like who I've met of Ed's family so far." Cha-Cha was most certainly not sucking up. She would never do that!

* * *

Ed on the other hand felt free to say what he wanted. He'd try to keep it positive tonight, though. "You're my favorite person. That's all that matters," he smiled. No one needed to pay attention to his fathers taste.

"Because everything is about Ed and his opinion," Melissa nodded jokingly.

"Indeed it is."

* * *

"Of course it is. Ed's always right when he agrees with me," Cha-Cha took his hand, squeezing it under the table. "Thank you, baby. I'm my favourite person too," she agreed with a smirk, only half joking. What? She was allowed to love herself.

* * *

Mrs. Green wondered yet again what kind of lover Ed had found. This he would never have let fly a year ago. 'Good boy' and 'Ed's always right when he agrees with me'? Was she getting the wrong impression or was this...person slightly controlling? And why would Ed put up with it?

Ed laughed. "The ego comes out at last!"

* * *

Cha-Cha rollled her eyes, laughing with him. "I'm playing, honey. You know who my favourite is," she assured him. Could he blame her for wanting to avoid a cheesy moment? They had enough of them at home. She was only trying to give Melissa less to tease him over. "But it's more fun to make you keep guessing, instead of just telling you," she added.

* * *

"More hard work for me," he sighed. "Just admit it, Melissa is already stealing you." His sister smiled triumphantly. His mother looked worried at the thought. Not both of her children now....

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned, shaking her head and squeezing his hand. "You're lovely," she promised Melissa. "But...you're really not my type," she added with a smirk. Melissa may have had a personality more like her own, but she was missing a few key factors. Ed still had her beat in a few ways. Well, in more than a few ways, but again, cheesy moment. "She's adorable though. Why'd you take so long to introduce us?" Cha-Cha added to Ed. Yes, she was saying that someone twenty years older than her way 'adorable'.

* * *

Because it took someone breaking a leg to get him to consider coming down? He hated coming home more than getting shot at? Opportunities like this, dinners without dad, were practically unheard of. He didn't want Cha-Cha around him. "I don't know."

* * *

"You should've," Cha-Cha decided. Even if it was just Melissa. She knew he had problems with his parents, and wouldn't ask hm to see them more than he wanted to. But his sister seemed normal at least, and Cha-Cha wouldn't have minded meeting her. Well, at least he introduced them at some point, rather than never.

"I agree," Melissa added. If Cha-Cha could hear Carrie's thoughts, she probably would've thought through her words a bit more. But every sentence that didn't have 'please' in it was another nail in her coffin.

* * *

"Well, I regret waiting so long now," he lied. She may be wonderful in Cha-Cha's opinion, but normally after a few hours together Melissa and Ed would start to argue more insistently. It would stop being as playful and go on until one would give up. Siblings, what can you do? "And I'm sorry it's been so long since I've seen you, mom," he lied again.

* * *

Cha-Cha knew he was lying, but kept her mouth shut. It was hard to tell whether Carrie bought it, but the older woman didn't comment one way or the other. It occured to Cha-Cha that it probably wasn't nearly the first time he'd lied to her. "Well, I know how long a drive it is from New York City to home," Carrie spoke slowly.

"I'll say," Cha-Cha shook her head, still in disbelief she'd lasted.

* * *

'Home' should have been New York City. "Cha-Cha can hardly stand one hour," he laughed. Nine hours had almost killed her. "Maybe we ought to fly next time." On the condition Melissa got them from the airport. Or Ed finally rented a car.

* * *

"I did better than I thought I would though," Cha-Cha said proudy, though she couldn't deny it. Sitting for long periods of time was not her specialty. With Ed there to distract her, though, it was a little easier to take. Not to mention the promise of the beach and a nice hotel. "We could fly, but if the plane goes down..." her forehead wrinkled slightly. It could happen. It had happened many, many times...in some movies she'd seen once.

"Well, Edward, it's never been a problem before. I wouldn't expect it to change," Carrie replied as pleasantly as possible. Could be shrugged off as just a comment, but it wasn't too welcoming to Cha-Cha, if you looked closer.

((edited, forgot carrie doesn't say 'ed' XD yay i caught an error!))

* * *

"I wouldn't either." He went with shrug it off. Ed felt obligated to continue, though he felt the same way he knew Cha-Cha did. "You're welcome to come up too, mom." She had only accepted the offer once. He highly doubted she would with his current lover around. Even staying at a hotel, he figured his mother wouldn't want to.

"You know your father hates flying."

"I was only inviting you," he admitted. "Well, and you Melissa." She'd probably show up two days after they got home, unable to part with her new friend.

* * *

"Edward," Carrie said sternly. "I wouldn't go without your father. And you shouldn't ask me to." Cha-Cha didn't understand, but still didn't say anything. Ed and his father didn't get along. What good was forcing them together going to do?

"I'm there. Next week sound good?" Melissa laughed, partly serious. She missed her brother when she didn't see him.

* * *

"He wouldn't enjoy it anyway." Everyone knew that. Ed would either have to keep him away from the apartment or ask Cha-Cha to leave. And he wouldn't do the latter.

He knew she'd want it to be soon. "Don't you want to spread the visits out so we don't go a year without seeing each other again?" Come up in a few months.

"Is that an 'I take it back' I hear?"

"_No._ Come back with us now, I don't care. Just don't cry six months from now that you want to be up again but you can't afford another ticket."

Melissa smiled. "If you were a gentleman you'd get me the ticket yourself."

"And if you were a woman I would. But you're just my sister." Besides, that's what her husband was for.

* * *

Cha-Cha didn't say anything to Carrie, not wanting to make it worse. "Ed!" she exclaimed, trying not to laugh. She couldn't stop herself though, and didn't feel bad when Melissa started to herself.

"You see what I mean? Eighteen years of that," Melissa stressed with a laugh. "I bet he wouldn't treat you that way," she added. In fact, she could tell Ed wouldn't.

Carrie wouldn't say it out loud, but it was beyond her how he could say that to Melissa, considering the person he was dating.

* * *

It didn't cross his mind at all that it would be strange for him to consider Cha-Cha a woman and Melissa just a sister.

"One night on our couch and you'd behave yourself too." Alright, the times he fell asleep on it hadn't been because he was in trouble. Didn't make his neck feel any better knowing that.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, shaking her head. "Honey, I was sleeping on the couch with you. That doesn't count," she grinned. That was a good night, actually. "In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who's slept alone on the couch, out of the two of us." That still didn't even count, though, considering it was her own stubborness that got her there.

* * *

Food arrived and interrupted momentarily. As the waiter walked away Melissa asked, "Ed, you didn't make her sleep on the couch, did you?" If a couple got in a fight the man was supposed to be kicked out of the bed.

"Of course not, she fell asleep." And he had given in eventually.

* * *

"That's true actually," Cha-Cha admitted, giggling at herself. It wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't predicted it was going to happen on the car ride home. That was insult to injury. "But in my defence, if you'd just turned off the war movie and kissed me already, we wouldn't have had that problem," she reminded him.

"Men," Melissa laughed, rolling her eyes.

* * *

Carrie once again felt uncomfortable and smiled weakly. Ed tried to think of a topic that she'd participate in more. Was coming up dry.

"Ha ha." Everything was his fault, each time.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, oblivious to Carrie's discomfort. She'd stopped paying attention to his mother, seeing that everything she said seemed to annoy her. "At least you came back though. You still shouldn't have laughed," she pouted. Even if it was funny.

* * *

"You shouldn't be so stubborn."

"Look who's talking," Melissa smirked.

Ed cut at his food. "And you're much better?" Before Mrs. Green could comment he lied, "I take it back."

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed softly, chewing her food to hide a frown. Why hadn't Melissa had to take it back when she said it? That was a little upsetting. "Ed's not really that bad," she spoke up for her man. "Not to me, anyway. Maybe you just like to make me happy," she added, thinking that would be seen as a good trait on Ed's part.

Mrs. Green put her fork down with a loud clink, more certain now than she was before. This person wasn't just controlling. It almost sounded like he ws full on blackmailing Edward. Why didn't her son do anything?

* * *

Ed and Melissa both eyed their mother questioningly, but she didn't say anything. "Mom?" asked Melissa. "Food okay?"

"It's fine," she said, forcing a smile. Brief pause. She looked to Ed. "How's job hunting going?"

"Fine."

* * *

Cha-Cha didn't know what she'd said wrong, but she could tell it was something. Twirling a piece of fettucini around her fork, she kept her tounge forcefully behind her teeth, to stop it from moving and saying things she'd regret. She wanted to ask Mrs Green what the matter was, and insist the woman answer, but the topic was changed before she could work up the nerver. It was probably for the better.

"You know your father still has a position open," Ed's mother continued, not letting the topic drop. Cha-Cha wondered if maybe this was where Ed got his stubbornness in the first place. How many time did Ed have to say no before the let it go?

* * *

"I know, I'm thinking about it." Sort of a lie. He was thinking about it with Cha-Cha telling him not to. He looked at her, hoping his silent message of _don't say anything_ got to her. And sort of wanted help with this issue.

* * *

"What other options could there be?" Carrie asked, determined to change Ed's mind. What was more, this was looking like it may be a two fold solution. If Ed went back to Virginia, maybe this person wouldn't want to follow him. But on the other hand, considering his hold on Ed, how easy would it be to convince him?

* * *

"Mom there are thousands of jobs in New York. I'm sure I'll be fine." Something would turn up.

She didn't look convinced. "And if you're not?"

"Think positive mom." Way to sound supportive. "If I can't find an opening after searching all of New York, I'll give you a call."

"Why are we always your last resort?"

Ed sighed. "It's not like that, mom. It's just..." He looked to Cha-Cha. She'd kill him. "I can't move back."

* * *

Cha-Cha watched Ed carefully, putting a hand on his thigh gently. It wasn't so much that he couldn't go back, but...what would that mean for them? They couldn't have a relationship like that, could they? Ten hours away from each other? She wasn't sure she could make it work. And she could go with him, but...she wasn't sure she'd be welcome, and she knew she didn't want to go. Like Ed said, there were so many other options that didn't involve leaving New York. And he didn't even want to go back, either. How would that ever work?

Carrie sighed, cutting her meal slowly. "You can come home, Eddie. You know you're welcome, is that what it is?" After the last conversations he had with his father, she could see why he'd be hesitant to take the offer. While she doubted that was the real reason he didn't want to come back, it was worth a shot.

* * *

"Dad would disagree, I guarantee it. And it's not just that, mom. I've lived in New York for over fifteen years. I consider it home. My friends are there, Cha-Cha's there, I'm used to the city. I couldn't get used to how...quiet it is here."

"Virginia has large cities too."

"That wasn't the main point." Obviously it was the girl sitting beside him! Hello!

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, biting her lip. Mrs. Green just wasn't getting it, was she? Or maybe she just didn't want to get it. How to day this though? "It would be hard to keep a relationship going that way," she commented, trying to make it seem like a casual point. Not the defining one, even though it was. Just another obstacle for the Green parents to jump over. The thing was, whatever happened, Cha-Cha wasn't willing to say goodbye to Ed. But she wouldn't want to leave New York, either. Or Rusty or Ivana or Grace. And Ed wouldn't want to leave either, the city or Lennie or his other, supposedly real friends. It just wasn't a good idea.

Mrs. Green nodded, pretending to think about that issue. "Well, Edward..." how to say this. "Making a living seems like it should be put at a higher importance, than...having a relationship." It would seem like Ed should've been mature enough to realize that.

* * *

"Well you did a good job teaching me how to save my money, mom. I have enough to last us until I find something."

"Surviving isn't the same as living." She wanted more for her son than just getting by.

Ed was annoyed that Cha-Cha couldn't be his first priority in his mothers opinion. "I don't want to survive _or_ live without her." What did she have to say to that?

Melissa looked awkwardly between her mother and brother. "You both have good points, let's just leave it at that, okay?"

* * *

"You won't have to," Cha-Cha assured him, wanting to both clean this up and tell him the truth. How could she ever leave him now, after all they'd been through? A silly thing like disntance couldn't stop it, and...yes, she would probably go with him if that's what it came to. She just really, really hoped it wouldn't come to that.

This wasn't an acceptable solution in Mrs. Green's eyes. "Edward," she coaxed. "You...can't base your life all around one person. People need to work together...make sacrifices for each other. And one person can't dictate how you make your decisions..." she was trying to say it as tactfully as possible, though Cha-Cha was frowning, slowly understanding what the older woman meant. Did she think...that she controlled Ed?

* * *

Why would Ed let Cha-Cha boss him around? He could take her in a fight, not like he was intimidated into staying. "Don't make this her fault." Mindless chatter about ghosts and Ed being a rotten little brother sounded pretty good right now. He should have just said 'Yeah bring Dad along too' and then just never reminded them to come up. Or challenge it later on the phone.

* * *

But it had to be her fault somehow, even though she'd done nothing wrong. Not really. What was she even getting blamed for, anyway, Ed not moving back home? It wasn't because of her he hated his parents. "I am making a sacrifice. I would. I'd go with Ed...if it came to that," she pointed out. And she was allowed to hope it wouldn't, and she was allowed to help him search for alternatives.

"This is really good," Melissa commented, pointing to her dish with her fork, trying to change the subject.

* * *

Ed was surprised that he doubted that. Only for a moment, then he felt relieved she'd follow him down here. But he'd had trouble seeing her leaving New York.

"What did you get again?" he asked, seeing if his mom would drop it. After all, it was bothering poor Melissa.

Melissa looked at her plate. "Some fancy almond chicken thing. Try some?" she offered, holding out her fork.

"No thanks."

* * *

Carrie wasn't sure she believed Cha-Cha, either. But she didn't much care for this character Ed was seeing, anyway, so she didn't have to judge him fairly. He'd already proven himself to be a poor match for Ed. If her son had to be with another man...she at least wanted that man to treat him right. And, preferably to have a correct gender. This Cha-Cha person had neither. "Don't rule the idea out," she told Ed, not addressing Cha-Cha's comment. She would drop it for the night, but only because Melissa was upset.

Cha-Cha didn't like to be ignored. She didn't like to be disliked for no reson. "We won't," she told Carrie, asserting herself. She was an important factor in Ed's decision, the word 'we' could be used. She knew it wasn't her decision, but she thought Ed would understand given the circumstances. Carrie's jaw twitched, and she went back to eating her meal in an uncomfortable silence.

* * *

Melissa did her best to get Cha-Cha focusing on her again. Ed appreciated it. His mother hadn't come right out and insulted her, like he thought she wouldn't, but he had also been right in thinking she'd imply something. Well it could have been worse. How many times would they have to turn down the idea of moving south though?

They were talking about shopping, which he knew would inevitably come up. He hadn't quite caught all of the control issues his mother had, and accidentally joked about Cha-Cha 'making' him go out for a new wardrobe. "I personally think my work suits are fine, but what do I know?" he chuckled. Melissa giggled at the thought of her brother stuck trying on a thousand things to appease his girlfriend, and Mrs. Green just ate her dinner without a comment for now.

* * *

"But you looked so handsome in the other things, Eddie..." Cha-Cha cooed before she could top himself. Mrs. Green was silent, but it wasn't a good silence. Cha-Cha couldn't tell before, but now it was hard to ignore. Control freak. "Of course nobody made you try on those things, you were perfectly entitled to your own opinions and tastes and...opinions, and you didn't buy alot of stuff we picked out for you anyway, and that was just fine with us," she added quickly.

* * *

"Us?" asked Melissa.

Ed laughed a little. "Her friend Ivanna came. Just imagine me with two of her," he motioned to Cha-Cha, "and you get the idea."

Melissa nodded. "I forgot you'd have different friends! How do they get along?"

"Actually," he began. "I haven't _exactly_ gone over well. And she hasn't met mine yet,"

"But it's been so long!" Melissa said the same time his mother asked, "What's 'wrong' with you?" How could her son possibly not be good enough for someone like this and their friends?

* * *

"Nothing's _wrong_ with him," Cha-Cha responded defensively, answering the more confrontational of the two questions. "My friends are just...well they read the newspaper and they know about the trial and everything. It's just taking them a little longer to get used to it. That's all." But they'd come around, she was sure they would. They'd have to. It wasn't like Ed was going anywhere.

* * *

His mother wasn't being quite as neutral as he had expected. "Yeah, it's fine mom, Ivana likes me. Grace and Rusty just need a little more work." She didn't think he should bother fighting for approval. Or have to. His dad must have rubbed off on her more than he knew.

Continuing with Melissa instead he said, "I know. But work was keeping me busy, I hardly had time to see Cha-Cha. But I have been able to see some of the guys now and then, and they're anxious to meet her."

* * *

"Are they?" Cha-Cha asked with a grin, following his lead and letting his mother go for the moment.

"How much work would it take?" His mother asked, frowning softly. A drag queen had standards? That didn't seem right to her. If anything, it should have been her Ed calling the shots on them. But then again, if they were anything like the person he was dating...

* * *

"Of course they are sweetheart, you're the only thing I talk about now. They're dying to put a face to the stories." Melissa beamed at 'sweetheart'. Her brother _never_ used terms like that. Not in front of her, anyway.

Looking back to Carrie he said, "Mom, really, it's not a big deal."

* * *

Cha-Cha beamed at sweetheart, and at his confesssion. Even though she was used to it by now, it was nice to know he wouldn't hold off in front of his family.

"You shouldn't be needing to fight for anyone's approval, Edward," Carrie told him. "If these...people don't like you, that's just the way they are. I'm sure there will be other friends for you to meet, who will accept you for who you are." Cha-Cha wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean. Yeah, she probably had other people that Ed could meet some time, if he really wanted to. Or did she mean friends of other boyfriends, implying that she and Ed would eventually break up?

* * *

Ed wasn't sure about that either. "Anyway, speaking of being accepted, how did Johns interview go?" He wasn't the only one between jobs, but of course Melissa's husband was allowed to be. Melissa had a steady job and John had already found several places to interview at. Damn overachiever...

"Oh, fine, he told them he'd think about. He's choosing between a few places." His sister was proud her husband was in such high demand.

* * *

"John...your husband?" Cha-Cha guessed. Ed had told her Melissa was married.

"You make sure he makes the right decision, now. A boy like that needs to consider all his options," Carrie beamed with the type of pride one would show a son. John would be welcome to work with Ed's father if he wanted to, as well, but they knew he didn't need that sort of handout.

* * *

"Mhmm," she nodded. "He's amazing with computers, and you know today they're just so hard to figure out. I'm surprised if I can fix an issue with Word, and then there's him with all those databases and...I don't even know. He tells me what he does but I just smile and nod. It all goes way over my head," she laughed.

* * *

"What's Word?" Cha-Cha asked, half-kidding. She knew what a word was. But computers weren't her specialty. She didn't even have one before she moved in with Ed, and she was afraid to touch his. Well not afraid, but the one time she did, she lost something he'd been working on. And lied about it later of course, but somehow she thought he saw throught it. She wasn't about to do that again, as cool as it was.

* * *

Melissa laughed and assumed she joking. "I swear sometimes it's like he isn't human. He's gotta have a computer chip or something in him." He was just too smart. "Although his common sense could use a boost," she admitted. "Amazing how someone can be so book smart and so socially naive."

"So we _are_ opposites."

Melissa laughed. "Shut up, Ed, you got both and you know it. You're good with people and you've got the entire Constitution memorized."

"Not really," he chuckled.

"You could probably name off every right off the top of your head. I can name one. You have the right to remain silent. And I don't even exercise that one." That was for sure. She couldn't stay quiet for long.

"Everyone knows the Miranda rights," he said.

* * *

"Who's Miranda?" Cha-Cha asked, this time completely serious. Apparently she didn't excersize that right either. It may have been a dumb question to the others at the table, but she didn't realize how it came across. She twirled a bit more pasta onto he fork, innocently awaiting an answer.

* * *

Before his family could comment, if they were planning to at all, Ed began an explanation. "In the 60's Ernesto Miranda was arrested and didn't know any of the rights citizens have. He confessed without talking to a lawyer or knowing he didn't have to answer questions without a lawyers help or anything. He got put in jail but then released, saying it wasn't fair. Eventually he got arrested again, but now police have to make sure everyone knows their rights before questioning suspects, and they got nicknamed Miranda. Everyone doesn't know the story behind it. You'd know them if you heard them." So much for everyone knowing. "But only people arresting or being arrested really need to memorize all of them." And she was clean. She didn't have to worry about them.

* * *

Cha-Cha swallowed her pasta. "Oh," she replied. It was obvious from the faces that she was the only one at the table who didn't know. While not as many knew the story, most knew what they were. Carrie looked like she wanted to say something, and even Melissa was a little surprised. "I better not get arrested any time soon then," she laughed, trying to break the awkward.

* * *

Ed smiled in what he hoped was a comforting way. He knew what the other two were thinking. That it was strange she'd been with a detective for so long and she didn't know something as simple as your basic rights. But in her defense he didn't talk about work much. They didn't watch detective movies or shows. "I'm sure you won't. Besides, Lennie wouldn't let that happen."

"Breaking laws in the name of love, Ed?" Melissa teased. Mom didn't look amused.

"I was only kidding, Mel," he laughed in return.

* * *

"I just get my languages mixed up, right?" Cha-Cha winked, ignoring his mother. In Spanish, she continued, "I don't speak much English, I'm new to the city, damn that Detective Green is sexy," she giggled. She didn't know if Ed's whole family spoke Spanish or if it was just him, but it was worth the risk.

* * *

Ed laughed, harder than anyone else so far tonight. Not only had it been because he found it funny, but he also knew that the other two hadn't understood. "Exactly." He doubted he'd be called to translate, but they were kidding so details like that didn't matter. Switching to Spanish too he added, "Silly girl, what if they had understood you?"

"Ed don't," Melissa whined. "That's not fair! What did she say?"

* * *

Cha-Cha shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I don't care. It's not like it's a big secret that you're sexy," she told him with an amused grin. She liked seeing him laugh like that. One other quick thing, "think I'm making a good impression?" If they couldn't understand, he could tell her quickly. While she got the feeling she was going over well with Melissa, the same couldn't be said for his mother.

* * *

"Yes and no. I don't know what her deal is," he said, hoping she'd know meant his mother. Didn't want to say names. "You've got a new best friend though," Ed joked.

"All I got out of that was friend," Melissa pouted.

Of course Mrs. Green joined in. "Honestly Edward, this is rude."

"I hate it when she calls me that," he sighed. Back to English he lied, "I'm sorry mom. What were we saying."

"Lennie bending the rules for her. You ought to know better than to ask him for that." Lennie was old enough to know better than to go along with it, too.

"Oh, we were just kidding." Hadn't he already said that? "But Lennie probably would." Lennie _had_. He'd told her confidential information about Ed's case. "He loves Cha-Cha.' Slight exaggeration. But how would they know?

* * *

Both Carrie and Cha-Cha were surprised by that, though Cha-Cha soon caught on. Carrie, however, couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed in Lennie. While she wasn't happy with her son's former profession, she did at least respect Lennie. He'd seemed like he cared about Ed when he got shot. How could he go along with this controlling person? "I didn't realize they'd met," she settled on commenting.

* * *

"She's met everyone except Jack and Connie," he said casually. Couldn't help one more Spanish comment, "In my opinion my boss and partner are everyone." He didn't use names so the other two couldn't hear how many were being spoken about.

"Ed," both complained simultaneously.

"Sorry, sorry," he laughed. "Anyway," Ed said, turning to Cha-Cha. "You two hang out without me half the time." She'd only seen him a handful of times, so the two meetings were almost half. That wasn't sarcastic or angry or anything at all. He hoped she saw this the same way he did. That their one on one chats actually could be handy if you didn't mention why Ed hadn't been there.

* * *

"True," Cha-Cha said, not really sure what he was getting at. He didn't seem to be annoyed with her or anything. And she'd apologized enough times, he shouldn't be. "He really is a good guy though. Cranky, but nice." It surprised her that he'd had been as kind to her as he had been, especially after he met her the way he did.

* * *

Cha-Cha might not have known what to think about what Ed had said, but it had made an impression on Carrie. To her she was surprised that Ed's partner would be so...open. And more than that, close enough to see Cha-Cha without Ed having to be there. She had assumed that if Cha-Cha were to be with any of Ed's friends it would be tagging along. She had to admit to being a little impressed. If Lennie of all people could like her, maybe she wasn't that bad?

"Anyway I don't want to talk about work," Ed said. Or...lack of work. "Melissa, topic change." That had always worked when they were younger.

"Yes sir," she laughed, and instantly came up with something else. "How's your hotel?"

* * *

"It's amazing," Cha-Cha gushed with wide eyes. "It's right on the beach--you can see the water right from the window! We--me and Ed--we made a sandcastle today, and went swimming, so fun," her speech sped up a bit with her excitement. She stopped herself before she went into much more explanation though. The woman knew he slept with his partners, didn't want details. She remembered.

* * *

Ed nodded, smiling at his girls answer. No they were not too old for sandcastles.

"Is it the one we normally stay in?" asked Melissa. Even though they lived close to the beach, it wasn't the same if you didn't stay in a hotel for a trip. Most of the time they'd drive for a day, but normally once a year they'd get to stay overnight.

"No I thought I'd try a new one." The two of them would not be found.

* * *

"I don't know what it's called," Cha-Cha added, not giving it up. What if they got a midnight visit or something? Besides, she honestly and truly didn't know. "It's amazing. And more expensive than anything I've ever been in in my life, oh my gosh," she added.

* * *

"It's very nice," Ed agreed. Had a feeling it wouldn't be hard to top the places she'd been.

"Ed, is that a good idea?" Melissa asked. "With you out of work and-"

Ed interrupted. "Ah ah, I don't want to talk about work. And I already told you guys, I'm fine. I saved for problems like this."

"But there doesn't have to be a problem," added Mrs. Green.

_Not that again_. "Melissa?"

"Weather!" she beamed, happy to steer the conversation away from dad again. "It's been real rainy down here." The changing topics routine had started years ago. At first Ed would subtly hint for Melissa to help get him out of something. Now he just asked flat out, and they were all used to it.

* * *

Cha-Cha went with it, happy to get the conversation off Virginia. "Has it? It was beautiful today though. And yesterday..." she trailed off. What she was doing yesterday wasn't really a good topic either. She wasn't sure if Ed was still mad at all, and she felt bad for upsetting him.

* * *

"I missed it, we were inside," Ed said. He didn't say anything else about yesterday. Any signs of trouble between them weren't to be brought to his mothers attention. She knew it had been hard for the couple during last month, but now Ed insisted they were perfectly happy and carefree.

"It has been nice this weekend," agreed Melissa, "But it was down pouring like crazy last week.

* * *

"Oh yeah," Cha-Cha nodded. Good conversation change, but she'd run out of things to say. It was hard to talk about Virginian weather when one didn't live in Virginia. "The ride up was okay, too. Well I don't really know cause I wasn't driving," she laughed. "But for what I was awake for."

* * *

"New York's been boring lately. It's cloudy like it wants to rain, but it won't. I wish the sun would just come out." Ed couldn't believe Melissa picked weather. What about something that would last at least five minutes?

* * *

"We'll probably get a monsoon in a couple weeks. Just to make up for it," Cha-Cha pointed out. She hated thunderstorms, but especially in New York. The buildings amplified the thunder, making it sound like the world was ending. Deep sigh. What more could be said about weather.

* * *

Ed nodded. "Speaking of natural disasters, I can see Florida having another hurricane the day after we get there." He rolled his eyes. It would be just his luck.

"Oh Eddie, you can't af-"

"I know, I know, not right now," he said, cutting his sister off. "I didn't say we were going today."

* * *

"But sometime. It was supposed to be for our six month, but it'll probably end up being for our year and a half anniversary," Cha-Cha admitted. And yes they were going to last that long. Only a couple more months to go.

"It's been that long?" his mother asked. Ed hadn't told her about Cha-Cha until he got arrested.

* * *

"Not a year and a half mom, she just meant we won't be able to until then." Although yes it had been longer than his mother had known about it. "But I have known her for almost a year."

His mother smiled politely. "Oh? Why didn't you bring her down before? We would have loved to meet her."

Ha ha. Yeah. Good times that would have been. "You know how busy I get mom, I don't have time for anything."

* * *

The sad thing was if Cha-Cha had met his parents when they first started going out, that might've turned her off. "You should always have time for your family, Edward," Carrie chided gently. Who was taking his time back in New York? Surely they were more important than Cha-Cha.

* * *

"You're absolutely right," he nodded. "That's why I told you you could call or come up whenever you wanted." How many times had they come to New York? He could count the trips on one hand. They couldn't blame not seeing their son solely on him. They didn't put much effort into meeting up either. But they certainly liked to complain.

* * *

"You know your father doesn't like to fly," Carrie repeated herself for the second time that night. "It's harder for us, at our age, Edward. You should be putting in a little more effort-"

"Topic change!" Melissa took it upon herself without Ed's insistance. Weather had gotten stale anyway. "Ooh lets play I Never!" she joked. Her mother gave her an odd look. "Or um, favourite...fruit." First thing that came to mind.

* * *

Ed too gave her an odd look. But she was trying to help, so he'd go with it. "Strawberry."

"Ed that's a girly fruit."

"Is there such thing as a manly fruit?"

Melissa paused. "Ah...banana?" He rolled his eyes.

* * *

Cha-Cha snickered. No dirty thoughts. No dirty thoughts. No dirty thoughts. Ahem. "I like peaches," she thought outloud. "And grapes and apples. Strawberries too, and watermelon..." she was a fruit person. Okay that was more than one favourite fruit, but whatever.

"Tomatoes," Melissa rose her hand proudly.

* * *

"Peach," Mrs. Green said, secretly vowing to change that.

Ed laughed at his sister. "Of all things you pick the tomato?"

"I like it, so there."

"Fruits are supposed to be sweet."

"Would you like to pick my favorite for me then?!"

"Okay, okay, tomato it is," grinned Ed.

* * *

"I always forget tomatoes are fruits," Cha-Cha shook her head. They were so vegetable like. They must feel pretty left out in the fruit aisle. "Favourite actor?" she changed the subject again.

* * *

Melissa was first to answer. "Will Smith." Ed snorted. "What?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

"You laughed," she insisted.

Ed didn't really have a reason. It had just struck him funny. "I didn't mean anything by it, Mel. I just think he's funny. And I like him to."

Melissa pouted. "Who's your favorite?"

"I don't really have one," said Ed. No one current anyway, he didn't have the time to stay in the loop.

* * *

"Daniel Day Lewis," Cha-Cha finished proudly. Dammit, another one Carrie liked. Cha-Cha didn't mind gushing over DDL, either. He was around in her life long before Ed was. Besides, who wouldn't gush over Daniel Day? "Okay, somebody else pick a topic," she decided, finishing her drink.

* * *

"Maybe no more favorites?" Ed suggested. It was hard to keep anything like that going.

"Oh sure, make it harder now." Melissa searched for something. "I don't know. Is anybody else full?"

Ed shrugged. He had a little bit of his dinner left. "I could probably finish," he said. He looked to Cha-Cha. "But I was waiting to ask if you wanted dessert."

* * *

"Do you even have to ask?" Cha-Cha beamed. He knew her by then. Dessert was mandatory. "Absolutely. I'm done. What are we having?" she pushed her plate away. She wasn't totally done, but it was all she needed to eat.

* * *

Did his meals revolve around her decisions too? "Whatever you want." Apparently so. "Do you want to share something? I doubt I could finish anything myself."

"Mom?" Melissa asked. Why was she looking at them like that? "Share something with me?"

"Sure, hun, of course."

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded. Of course, knowing her she could probably eat a whole dessert herself and then some. But she wouldn't mind sharing with him, either. "What do you like? Strawberries," she nodded at what he'd said earlier. "I like pretty much everything keep in mind." There was nothing sweet that she wouldn't scarf down happily, she was sure he knew that by now.

* * *

Ed waved a waitress over and ordered dessert for them, and Melissa called after saying she'd like one too. It was delicious, but then was there such thing as a bad dessert? The night was hopefully coming to an end. While his mom hadn't been horrible, she'd been less than enthusiastic.

* * *

When the dessert came, Cha-Cha often found her fork battling his. What could she say? She was greedy and wanted all the chocolate sauce for herself. Not to mention when her fork got tangled in his, it gave them an excuse to laugh with each other as they pulled them apart.

* * *

"Aren't they cute, mom?" Melissa whispered. The older woman either didn't hear or didn't answer. Her daughter continued anyway. "I'm jealous. I can never get Ed to look like that. He always seems like in the back of his mind he'd rather be in New York whenever he comes down." She sighed, amused with watching them fight over the last strawberry. "He especially looked like that the last time he came home." He'd come once since he met Cha-Cha, a few weeks after they'd bumped into each other. "And no wonder. She's adorable. I'd wanna be in New York too. Although I'd still come home often." Ed had said she was a suck up. There was a reason she was the favorite.

"Well he could just bring her," Mrs. Green said, a little annoyed.

* * *

Cha-Cha raised her eyes, widening them. "Oh my god. Look behind you Ed, quick!" She wasn't sure what she was pretending to see, but it didn't matter. That last strawberry was hers, dammit!

"You think he would?" Melissa asked softly. It seemed like a long way for them both to go, when they were settled in already in New York. Besides, she couldn't pretend and say the city didn't seem a little appealing. She'd lived in a small town all her life, never far from home. She could see the appeal of it.

* * *

"No, I don't," she admitted. If it were anyone else, maybe. But Ed seemed to follow her lead in everything, and if she said she wanted to stay up there, no doubt he'd listen to her. "He won't think for himself anymore."

Wasn't how Melissa would put it. "But mom it's sweet how he works so hard to keep her happy."

"That's not sweet, Melissa. It's strange. If she really liked him she wouldn't make him work so hard." It just... Something seemed off. It wasn't like Ed to give in to one thing so easily. So almost everything? No way.

"She's not making him," Melissa sighed. "And work isn't really the right word."

Meanwhile, Ed gave Cha-Cha a disbelieving look. Slowly he turned away in search of the obviously fake distraction. "Gee, what could it have been?"

* * *

Cha-Cha grabbed for the last strawberry greedily. Paused. Cut it with her fork and took the slightly bigger half. She wasn't quite mean enough to take the whole thing.

"You're saying you haven't noticed a change in your brother?" Carrie asked quietly, hoping the couple would be too distracted to listen. They seemed to be laughing and goofing off on their own, though, so she didn't mind speaking.

"Well, yeah," Melissa admitted. "But I think it's a change for the better. He's happy, mom," that was a hard one to deny. He'd laughed more that night than she'd seen him do in years. "I don't think Cha-Cha's making him do anything, either. He just...does it." She'd be lying if she didn't wish John were always that considerate.

Carrie shook her head. "I'm not convinced. There's some sort of...guilt trip, or black mailing going on."

* * *

There was a little guilty feeling in Ed, but it was nothing like an intentional guilt trip from Cha-Cha. He just wanted to make up for months of lost time. He'd always been busy or tired. Now he had free time and all the relaxation he wanted. Finally he wasn't exhausted for days in a row. Physically he felt great, and emotionally...well who could complain with a girl like Cha-Cha around? Of course he'd seem different.

"_Sharing_ a _strawberry_? You _do_ love me," he teased.

"Mom she's not blackmailing him," Melissa insisted. "That's a crazy idea." Ed couldn't be that happy if that were true. "But he did mention he felt bad about that murder mess. Did he tell you how upset she got?"

"I got the short version," she said, knowing her son wouldn't have told her everything. He never did. "But yes, I assume she wouldn't be happy."

Melissa made sure they were still going on about their dessert. "He had a run in with-" she mouthed the word 'Starr'.

Definitely hadn't gotten that detail. "How do you know that?" Now there was a name she hadn't heard in a while. She's surprisingly liked Starr. If she'd lost the drag it would have been better, but she'd been nice.

"Ed told me yesterday. I guess Cha-Cha thought he was cheating on her. Add that to already wondering if Eddie was a killer, and that had to be one freaked girl."

* * *

"Was there ever any doubt?" Cha-Cha smiled softly, scraping a bit of chocolate sauce off the side of the plate. Melissa and Carrie were still going on about something, she wasn't listening. Neither side was paying attention to the other. She lifted her fork to him, offering the chocolate sauce to him while his family wasn't looking.

Carrie frowned softly, not fully convinced. "Why would he think he was cheating on her?" Just because they had a run in didn't mean he still loved Starr. This seemed like paranoia on Cha-Cha's part.

"Well he was risking his freedom, he killed a man for his ex," Melissa pointed out. That would put anybody at unease. Even though Ed was a detective and it was his job to protect the innocent, Melissa could see where his current girlfriend was coming from.

"That's what happened?" Carrie was feeling awfully out of the loop. It made her wonder how much Ed didn't tell her. "That still doesn't explain why he's letting her walk all over him. It's not like it was his fault this Bunny character got wrapped up with Starr. It's his duty to protect innocent people, whether he's dated them or not."

* * *

Ed grinned and moved for the fork.

"Maybe he likes it. He's always so uptight and 'It's my way or the highway'. So serious. Maybe he enjoys occasionally losing control."

"There's losing control occasionally, and then there's just plan being controlled."

"_Mother_." She just didn't get it. Melissa thought it was amazing he could lighten up this much after under a year. She was done trying to explain. "You two ready to leave?" she asked the couple.

* * *

Cha-Cha wanted to kiss him, but stopped herself when Melissa adressed them. She put her fork back down on her plate, getting her purse over her shoulder. "I am, are you?" she asked Ed.

"Why bother asking?" Carrie said under her breath.

* * *

"Yeah," he agreed, standing. Melissa rose as well and bounced to Cha-Cha's side.

"This was so much fun," she smiled as they reached the parking lot. Mrs. Green smiled her polite smile, staying quiet. "You'll have to make Ed bring you down again," using the word 'make' intentionally, glancing at her mom. Look, one way it would be useful. ...Okay, she was sorta using it because her mom had annoyed her.

Before Ed could say a farewell he had his sister latched onto him. "And _you_, mister, will be inviting me up soon. Promise?"

"Goodnight Melissa," he laughed. Uh... he couldn't get her off.

"I need quality bonding time with your girlfriend."

"_Goodnight Melissa_." She released Ed and jumped around to give Cha-Cha a hug goodbye too.

* * *

Cha-Cha beamed, hugging Melissa back. Something had gone right that night, it seemed. "I'll invite you if he doesn't," she promised, returning the hug. She loved that someone in Ed's family liked her. They couldn't all hate her, right? And Melissa was every bit as sweet as he said she'd be.

* * *

"Can I have her back now?" asked Ed. He'd only been able to squeeze her knee beneath the table. His sister let go and he got an arm around Cha-Cha's waist. "Bye mom," he said, using his arm to give her a weak hug.

"Are you stopping by in the morning?" asked Carrie. She could have hit him when he looked to Cha-Cha for an answer.

* * *

Cha-Cha looked at Ed, it going over her head for a moment. "What're you lookin at me for? I made my sandcastle, I'm happy," she smiled, her arm wrapping around him in turn. She wouldn't mind a day with him too, but there'd be time for that, right?

* * *

He hadn't been sure if she'd prefer him to go in the morning and get the last visit over with, or the afternoon. Might be up late and he knew she didn't like when he crawled out of bed early. "I'll come by in the afternoon," he decided. Later he'd change his mind and want to just get it over with in the morning.

"Both of you aren't coming?" Mrs. Green looked disappointed. If she really was remained a mystery.

Ed didn't think it wold be a good idea to bring her. "Is dad going to be home?"

"_Edward_." Why did he have to base every visit on that?

"Well is he?" he insisted. When she nodded he told her that it would just be him.

* * *

Cha-Cha could understand that one more visit would be needed. As long as she got a little time with him, she'd be happy. "Tonight was great, though," Cha-Cha told her honestly enough. She wasn't sure where she stood with Ed's mother, but it could have gone alot worse.

* * *

"It was very nice to meet you," Carrie said. And with that, she walked her daughter to her car as Ed lead Cha-Cha to his.

"So what did you think?" Ed asked. Good? Bad? Love? Hate? He agreed in thinking that it could have gone a lot worse. Though his mother had been disappointing.

* * *

"I love Melissa," Cha-Cha gushed honestly. She kissed him gently before climbing into the car, having wanted to all night. "Your mom...I don't know how to feel about her," she admitted with a sigh. Had she said something and not realized she'd offended the woman? It didntt make sense.

* * *

Ed got into the car saying, "She isn't normally like that. Maybe she had a bad day or something." He leaned over in his seat to give her a better kiss. Oh, a pleasant surprise. "You taste like strawberries," he chuckled, going back for a third. "My favorite."

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, the kisses distracting her. "So do you," she placed a hand on his neck, giving him more of the taste. Talking could wait. They'd had to be chaste and polite all through dinner. It was hard to go two hours without kissing him. It was a miracle they made it through.

* * *

Ed was enjoying her new flavor immensely. He leaned over her arm rest, one hand then two on her seat supporting him. They needed to eat strawberries more often. He told her that.

"It's an hour back to the hotel..." He continued, kissing her neck. "...should probably start driving soon."

* * *

Cha-Cha wasn't helping matters, gladly pulling him towards her, one hand on the back of his head. "Then start driving," she mumbled, eyes closed. Her arms moved to hook around his shoulders, keeping him in place. "If you want to, that is."

* * *

Starting this an hours drive away was bad judgment on his part, he decided. "Are you going to let me?" With her clinging to him like this how was he supposed to? Alright, a kiss here and a caress there, and they'd be done. Pick it up again when they were in their room.

But a few minutes later Ed had only succeeded in pressing her against the passengers side window. He had a hand on either side of her gripping the door. Normally after two hours a heated kiss and playful look would suffice until they got to their room. But there was something about his two favorite things merged together that made this simply irresistible.

* * *

Cha-Cha was struggling to keep her mouth against some part of him at all time, if not his mouth than his jaw, his neck, his ear, anywhere. She wasn't certain they had any strawberries at home. That would have to change. She was making no move to get them on track, in fact she was furthering the distraction, doing all she could to pull him closer to her. In the back of her head, she knew nothing could progress until they were home--or at least, out of the front seat of a car-- but it was too hard to make a move at the moment.

* * *

Ed's phone vibrated. He planned to ignore it, but then figured it was a good way to start breaking this up. Oh, just a text message. A phone call would have meant he had to talk to someone, and pay more attention to that than Cha-Cha. Get his mind off her. Well maybe this would lead to a phone call. He clicked View Now. "Ohmygod!" he yelped. He was back in his own seat in a second. His cell phone landed in a cup holder, the message 'LOL mom says get a ROOM!!!' still displayed.

In a now far away car Melissa was laughing hysterically as her mother sped toward the house. Mrs. Green had refused to stick around to see his reaction, which only slightly dampened her daughters mood. One glance had been enough for her. "Oh my god," Melissa choked, trying to catch her breath. "I can't believe they didn't even wait until they knew we were out of the parking lot! That's _so_ funny!" Ed would hardly hug a man in front of his mother, and even Melissa was never around for more than a light kiss or two. Carrie just glared straight ahead. "Mom there's obviously something more than guilt tripping going on there," she giggled. "If that's what he gets for letting her walk all over him no wonder he does. John never does that..."

"Well I'm glad, that isn't...decent."

"Mom when you're in love you don't want to be decent," she laughed.

* * *

"What, what?" Cha-Cha jumped, missing his lips already. She picked up his phone to look at it, eyebrows raised. Instead of freaking out, though, she slowly began to laugh. He may have been upset, but she couldn't help it. The thought was hilarious. "Did they drive by? I didn't even see them," she got out between giggles. Hey, they were only kissing. Not a huge deal. Not for her anyway.

* * *

Only kissing? Only kissing would have been a few seconds. Not crawling over the seat onto her.

He wasn't exactly upset, just...horribly embarrassed. "Well of course you didn't _see_ them." They'd been busy. He slumped forward in his chair, head hitting the wheel. "That will leave a lasting impression on my mother."

* * *

Cha-Cha tried to stop laughing, putting a hand on his arm gently. "Oh honey. It was fun," she reminded him with a giggle. Maybe now she'd realize that Cha-Cha was there to stay. "You're gonna make the safety cushion come out," she added, trying to keep a straight face. It was hard for Cha-Cha to keep a straight anything.

* * *

Ed sighed, sitting up to start the car. "Well, that killed it for me." Mood, gone. One way to get your mind on driving... He glanced at her once they got moving. "Oh come on, you're not helping." Her laughing was only making him feel even more embarrassed.

* * *

"I'm sorry honey! I'm trying to stop," Cha-Cha grinned. Okay, think of...dead kittens. There we go. "You'll feel better once we're home anyway. Alone. With a bed and a Do Not Disturb sign," she smirked, a hand resting on his thigh.

* * *

"I don't know, mom will probably be under the bed." Dangerous spot for her to be, but who knew. He moved her hand off him. Normally he wouldn't mind, but tonight was different.

* * *

Cha-Cha frowned softly, folding her hands in her lap. "Why are you mad at me now?" she asked, annoyed. It wasn't like she even started it. Ed had every oppurtunity to climb off her and drive away, or at least wait until they'd left. Or was this going to be a repeat of last night? It didn't matter how small a thing she did to annoy him, she was still going to get crap for it. Cha-Cha wasn't sure she could take a repeat of last night.

* * *

He reached over to shake apart her hands and put one back on his leg. "I'm not mad at you darling. I'm not mad at all. Just try to imagine how...weird this would be for me." Mom wasn't supposed to see anything like that. "I'm sorry. I promise I won't take my hands off you all night, okay?"

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, feeling a little bad. "I know, baby. But...you honestly don't think it's funny at all? Melissa was laughing, and you probably didn't scar anybody for life," she pointed out. She knew it was strange for him. But she wasn't going to let him be grumpy for the rest of the evening. "And we were having a good time."

* * *

"Yes we were. And now that the initial shock is wearing off I do think it was funny." He stopped at a red light, and leaned over to kiss her cheek. If he went for her mouth he might not be done in fifteen seconds for the green light. "It will be hilarious by tomorrow, I'm sure. I'm just still surprised mom didn't come over and knock on the window to break us up or something." _She probably would have if Melissa wasn't there..._

* * *

Cha-Cha lauhed again when she was sure he wasn't upset. "Like teenagers. Wouldn't be the first time," she admitted with a laugh. Her father was one of the first to find out she was gay. He didn't find out by her decision.

* * *

"I'm not the least bit surprised to hear that," Ed grinned. She would have been a handful at seventeen. With the light green they began moving again. Then a thought struck him that made him laugh slightly. It wasn't a serious idea, but he'd suggest it anyway. "You know we don't have to go back to our hotel. There's one right there. And there. And there."

* * *

Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow, grinning lightly. "You really can't wait?" she teased. So much that he'd spend money on a whole new room? She didn't have her toothbrush or anything with her. But if he was really that desperate for her, well, who could blame him?

* * *

"I was just thinking of you," he said. _I can wait if you can wait_. "Since you hate being in a car for an hour." It'd be a story for the girls, at any rate. "But you can always sleep while I drive."

* * *

What was that supposed to mean? "Yeah, well I think it's in your best interest if we do it." Why not? If he wanted to, she wanted to. And who ever heard of getting a hotel room when you already had a hotel room? It seemed like such a rich thing. "Or we could do a motel. Something cheap." Cha-Cha had been in cheap motels before. No, they weren't nearly as nice as the hotel they were in, but...there was something different about them. Not necessarily bad different. You were almost expected to have sex when you were in those places.

* * *

"But you deserve more than a cheap hotel," he said. "Unless you specifically asked for one, I wouldn't take you there." He'd started at the bottom and worked his way up to five star hotels. He had to say that the experience was much better when you weren't worrying about the bed falling apart.

* * *

Cha-Cha blushed, grinning. "I think you're one of the first of my boyfriends to think that," she admitted. "But don't go crazy if you don't havce to. I'm used to the seedy places, and if it's only for a night..." maybe hearing his family warn him about money had rubbed off on her a bit.

* * *

"Well I'll leave it up to you. I know where to find one better than our current one, about the same, and one that's falling down that can charge by the hour." Whichever she preferred. "Although that last one makes it pretty obvious what we're there for."

* * *

"True." Was she comfortable with someone knowing what they were planning on doing? "Let's go to the last one!" Who was she kidding? Hey, they only wanted to be there for an hour or so. She didn't trust those places enough to sleep in them, but they served their purpose well.

* * *

He laughed. "Alright." He should have seen that answer coming, but he had assumed she'd go with the better option. Soon enough he found a place that offered hourly rates. If there wasn't an ax murderer waiting in the room he'd be surprised.

* * *

"I like this one. It's sort of spooky," Cha-Cha decided, keeping close to him as they headed inside. And crumbly. And old. And the guy behind the desk either was either dead, or wanted to be. She couldn't blame him. Working in here, and knowing everybody was coming in for something you probably hadn't had in a million years? Yeah that'd be the pits. "Hello mister," she said to the man cheerfully, still bubbly from the meal and meeting Melissa.

* * *

Young Hispanic drag queen and older black gentleman didn't even get an interested glance out of the man. He'd seen stranger. He just reached for a key and slapped it on the desk. "Hourly, nightly, weekly?"

"Hourly," Ed said, not for the first time.

The man nodded, still not interested. "Cash only. Pay when you're done."

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, the novelty of the situation still not worn off. The man's absolute disinterest almost made it funnier to her, and she kept an arm around him as they headed off towards their room. "This is so much fun. I love this," she laughed. They hadn't even gotten to the bed yet and she was having the time of her life.

* * *

Ed laughed while opening their room door for her, but not for the same reason. Oh the many, many memories he had of he and Lennie breaking down doors of similar establishments. And years of doing so with the gang unit. Almost expected to find a drug dealer inside, but it was pleasantly vacant when he stepped in. Flipping on the light he said in a serious voice, "Lennie and I used to go to places like this all the time." He hoped for a good reaction. If she knew what he meant off the bat it'd be no fun.

* * *

Cha-Cha knew what he meant after a moment, but he still got the reaction. "...what do you mean--oh god. I'm picturing it. I'm picturing it!!" she squeezed her eyes shut, pretending to scratch at them. "Gross, Ed." Plopping on the bed, she tried not to laugh. "No offence, baby, but picturing you and Lennie doing it does not make me want to have sex with you."

* * *

Ed sat beside her, kicking his shoes off. "I couldn't help myself." It had to be said. After stretching out on the bed he said, "Now come on, we've got a half hour time limit." A complete lie of course. "I'm not made of money."

* * *

Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow, leaning over to kiss him. "You'd better be," she smirked softly. "He ain't the only one who charges by the hour." If he could tease her, he could tease back, right? It was hard to keep a straight face, though.

* * *

He laughed, starting to work on getting her shirt off. "How much is this gonna cost me?" he asked, not really interested in hearing an answer. Talking was falling and lower and lower on his list of priorities. Thank god for less layers tonight, getting them off would have taken up all their time.

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned, the bed squeaking dangerously when she moved an inch. Okay, maybe this wasn't the safest place to do things. Probably not the cleanest either, now that she thought about it. But that only added to the charm of the situation, and she was going with it. Sticking her toe into the heel of her shoes, she began working them off. "You know something," she mumbled, moving in to kiss at his neck. "You've got a pretty face. This one's on the house."

* * *

"You're too kind." Ed pulled her to him too quickly it seemed and almost had a heart attack from the noise. This would take some getting used to, he thought. It had definitely been years. But, it could have been worse. Could have been a water bed. And in this place, something would be swimming in it.

* * *

Cha-Cha jumped too, laughing. "The people next door are trying to sleep, Ed, really," she chided with a giggle. She really doubted there was anybody in the next room. Nobody in their right mind would try to sleep there overnight, and if somebody was in there on an hourly rate...well, they'd probably hear it. The walls were a little thinner than paper.

* * *

"It's not my fault," he insisted. Besides, if they were anything like Ed and Cha-Cha they really wouldn't be hearing it soon, would they? He focused on kissing her, or tried too at least. Pay no attention to the death trap beneath you. He was disappointed the strawberry taste was close to gone. Though Cha-Cha herself was still delicious.

* * *

Cha-Cha was starting at the buttons on Ed's shirt when the lights flickered. She was tugging it off when the single lightbulb died out. Well...not a big deal, they'd done it in the dark before, right? "I don't know about you, but I'm not getting under the covers," she added. One could only imagine what might be found between the sheets.

* * *

As cute as her zebra pants were, they had to go. "Well if you're not under them I see no reason for me to be."

After one too many panic attacks yet still a very enjoyable time, Ed was returning the key. He hadn't bothered to put more on than was necessary. His jacket and tie were folded over his arm, along with...something or other of Cha-Cha's. If only staying two hours didn't make it apparent to why they'd stopped in, their appearance did. He paid and walked her to the door.

Wrapping an arm protectively around her as they walked through the dark parking lot he said, "Two hours with you, twenty-seven fifty-three. I got the better end of this deal." Poor dying door man.

* * *

Cha-Cha stayed close to him, walking quickly to the car. She wasn't as giggly as she was earlier, but a content smile rested on her face anyway. "It was an adventure, anyway," she nodded. A fun one, that she wouldn't mind repeating. But...maybe on a nicer bed. Once in the car, she leaned over to peck his cheek. "Have I mentioned I really love you today? Just checking. Cause I really do." She just felt like saying it.

* * *

"Probably, but I don't get tired of hearing it." Actually he didn't remember her saying it today. He smiled at the kiss but just squeezed her thigh as a response and started the car. They both now knew what could happen with them and a car. "Feel free to fall asleep, babe, it's almost midnight." He knew she sometimes felt obligated to stay awake to keep him company, but he didn't need her to.

* * *

"Yeah." It was pretty late, and he had just worn her out. She relaxed into the carseat, deciding she'd fall asleep if it came to her. "My back's gonna ache for a bit. There was some hard thing on that mattress..." she trailed off, deciding she didn't want to know what that hard thing had been.

* * *

"I'll rub it when we get back to the room," he promised.

In just under an hour Ed was getting out of the car and walking around to her door. He made sure she wouldn't fall out before opening it. "Hun? Wake up. We're back." He shook her gently.

* * *

She did end up falling asleep, about twenty minutes after he started driving. Waking up was not a nice idea. "Already?" she sighed as she opened her eyes. Lazily, she opened her arms. "Who wants to carry me upstairs?" Hint hint hint.

* * *

Ed smiled and undid her seat belt, scooping her up. Whether she was kidding or not, he'd oblige. "Just this once, and just to the lobby." She was adorable when she was sleepy. How could he not take it seriously.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled sleepily, her arms around his neck and her head on his shoulder. "Thank you, baby," she mumbled. She'd still need to change into her PJs and brush her teeth and all that before she could get into bed, so maybe having to walk would do her good. Or she could be totally lazy and not let go when he set her down. Either way.

* * *

Ed reached the lobby, but before he set her down he noticed her eyes were closed. She couldn't have fallen asleep again in five minutes could she? Shifting her in his arms he figured what the heck, just take her upstairs. He set her on the bed in a few minutes and asked if she was awake while taking off her shoes. Honestly, she was such a little kid.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled as he set her on the bed. What a nice man. "Sort of kind of not really," she yawned, rolling onto her side. She was able to grab her discarded pajamas off the floor, and began changing while still lying on the comforter. It wasn't likely she'd be standing up again that night, meaning she'd have to go the night without brushing her teeth or washing her face. Gross. It took her awhile to stand up, shuffling off to quickly do those things.

* * *

Watching her change like that, because yes he did watch, he was allowed, he decided that had to be the laziest person in the world in front of him. But oh wait, off she went. Almost the laziest. He followed after to do the same, then quickly hurried back to crawl under the comforter. He wouldn't be surprised if she fell asleep before he could kiss her goodnight.

The following morning Ed awoke early and slipped out as quietly as he could. He needed to get to a drugstore and back before she got up. Successful with his first Walgreens he hurried to the room, showered and changed. This morning he was off to his parents house, and was certain they'd keep him longer than he wanted to be there. So maybe starting her day off with a laugh would help keep her happy with him?

She was still asleep when he set what he'd run out to get on the table. Walking away he changed his mind, and went to put it in the shower. Couldn't help it. Off he went, leaving a bottle of strawberry shampoo on the edge of the tub. He'd scribbled _thinking of you_ on a sticky note and stuck it on. The chance she'd read that when she was undressed may have crossed his mind, and he found it amusing. But hey, now all of her would smell like his favorite fruit. Good times.

* * *

Cha-Cha rubbed her eyes as she headed into the washroom. It was past eleven. Amazing, how Ed had turned her into a late sleeper. She'd expected him to be gone when she got up, and sort of hoped he would be. If he went earlier, maybe he wouldn't have to stay later, right? That was what she was hoping anyway. She started undressing, then climbed over the edge of the tub to get into the shower. She kicked a bottle by accident. Picking it up curiously, she couldn't stop a laugh as she realized what it was.

* * *

Ed greeted his parents awkwardly. Dad because it was Dad and Mom because of last night. He'd gotten there in time for a late breakfast, and they sat silently watching the small kitchen tv as they ate. An hour ticked by, then another. Boring chats about this and that, pointless things he'd forget was driving him crazy. Then, despite his protests, he was given a tour of his fathers company headquarters. "I'm not working here," he said, trying to tell himself he wasn't impressed. At all. A lot. Okay maybe a little. But he wasn't interested!

No, the only thing that interested him was getting back to Cha-Cha. Another hour passed with him strongly hinting he had to go. Finally he got frustrated enough to say he was leaving. Goodbye, see you maybe for Christmas.

"Why do you have to leave in such a hurry?"

"A hurry?" Ed laughed sourly, grabbing his coat. "It's almost four and I've been here since nine!"

"What do you have planned that can't wait a little longer?"

"That can't wait?" Ed asked. He smiled and said, "Ask mom." He closed the door and headed for his car.

* * *

He was out longer than she'd expected he'd be, and she hadn't felt like going out to the beach again. It just wasn't fun without him. Two turned into three turned into four, and she was bored to death. He had to be back soon though, right? How long could he stay at his parents? She was sprawled on the bed, flicking through the channels with disinterest.

* * *

Just before five Ed was unlocking the door. "I know, I'm late, I'm sorry," he said first. He hadn't had a set time to be back, but figured he was considered late if he wasn't back when she wanted him. He fell onto the bed beside her. "You wouldn't believe the day I've had. Tell me you at least had fun." Ed laid still for a second. "Mm, someone smells nice."

* * *

"Sort of," Cha-Cha shrugged one shoulder. She'd have more fun now that he was home. "I found your present," she added with a smile, leaning in to kiss him. He wasn't the only one who'd made a drugstore run. On the bedside table was a new tube of lipgloss. He'd taste strawberries as he kissed her, as well as smell it. Couldn't have enough, right?

* * *

Ed returned the kiss, delighted. "You spoil me. You really do. And I love you for it." He rolled over to use her chest as a pillow, the scent of strawberries coming through her clothes was a nice change. But not quite strong enough. Even though her arms and neck were exposed, he made to remove her top.

* * *

Cha-Cha dropped the shirt off the side of the bed and pulled him back down. "Good day?" she asked softly, stroking his hair. He could talk about it if he wanted to. He didn't have to if he didn't. Everybody won that way.

* * *

"The complete opposite." He listened to her heart for a few beats, it was sort of distracting being right below his ear. "Well no, not that bad. The best of the three days, at least. Less shouting, no one was told to drop dead," he laughed, listing off more signs of a good visit. "I took a tour of Dad's company. I didn't want to," he thought he should add.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, her hand resting on his shoulder for a moment before travelling up his neck to the side of his face. "Did you tell them you weren't interested?" she asked. Assuming that he wasn't. But he hadn't said he was, and he'd tell her, right? She sort of needed to know if he was planning on flying off to Virginia again.

* * *

"Yeah. Like that would really stop them." When they had an idea they were not easily talked out of it. He figured going to see it wouldn't really hurt. To save the weekend he'd gone, but made it clear that was all he would give in to. "It was something else though," he admittedly. No he wouldn't go, his chances with her meant to much to him. "I'd swear they were millionaires if I didn't know the president. Hell they could be, why would they bother to tell me?" He doubted that though.

* * *

"I thought they were," Cha-Cha laughed. Then again, she thought Ed was when they first met, too. Anybody who was well off was a trillionaire to her. "Well...at least you're done for a couple months. Unless you want to come back sometime. For a visit," she added.

* * *

"_No_ thank you, I am all parented out." He skimmed a hand over her stomach, then drew designs with a finger or two. "Maybe this can get me off the hook for Christmas," he hoped. "Although missing two in a row will probably piss them off." Didn't exactly bother him. He wouldn't loose sleep over it. He figured it hadn't crossed her mind last December that he hadn't left town. She'd spent Christmas Day with the girls, but he'd been there for any other day she was free.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded slowly. She hadn't even thought about him last Christmas, and really hoped he didn't spend it alone. "Well this year you've got somebody to have Christmas with," she reminded him. Though the girls usually expected her down there on the twenty-fifth, and often saw her father and brother the day after. And her mother too, technically, but she didn't count avoiding each other's eyes and not talking as 'seeing'.

* * *

He'd had his best friend Vaughn and his family to be with last year, so it hadn't been lonely at all. "Mhmm. Do you have anything you normally do?" Some people and their traditions were not something to get between.

* * *

Cha-Cha told him, running a hand along his side. "I think I'd better see Rusty and the girls this year. Even if just for part of the day," she told him. They opened their presents together, and spent the day with each other. If that changed this year, she knew who they'd blame. "But I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you came too." They'd have to be okay with him by then, right?

* * *

He knew it was early to already be planning Christmas strategies, but he thought about it anyway. "Could we do my friends Christmas Eve? Or...if you think it might go better without me Christmas morning I could drop you off at Rusty's and go to Vaughn's then. I don't want to ruin the spirit or anything." If the holiday went bad they'd have yet another thing to hold against him.

* * *

Cha-Cha had never met Ed's friends. "We'll see how they feel in December I guess. Do you do anything on the twenty sixth?That's when I usually see my family," she told him. She was sure Javier and her father would love to meet him, but it might be awkward with her mother there. But then again, it'd be no worse than his mother was, and she'd been fine with that. Mrs. Cueva wouldn't say anything, she'd just...not say anything.

* * *

"Normally I spend the entire week down here, so I don't have many commitments in New York. Any at all, actually. Last year if you were busy one day I'd just jump from friends house to friends house." He rolled onto his back, still using her for a pillow but he could look at her while he talked.

* * *

"I feel so important," she giggled. She was that high up on his list of priorities? Even then? Not bad. "Well...December is a few months away. We have some time to figure it out. Did you want to do something today? For the rest of the day?" she asked. She wasn't sure when they were supposed to start driving home, and they were losing daylight.

* * *

"I _told_ you I was crazy about you from the beginning," he laughed. Then he had been having trouble finding time to see her. His Christmas break had been the obvious solution for him. Did not go over well with the family.

"Hmm. Well I'm comfortable here, but we can always do this at home." They could always do it wherever they wanted. Oh yeah, speaking of home, they probably should have left hours ago. He'd planned on dropping by in the morning, then come back and get her. Thank you parents. "Do you want to finish the day on the beach? It looks like we're staying another night."

* * *

Cha-Cha agreed. There really needed to be beaches in New York. Well...it'd probably be the dirtiest beach ever come to think of it. But at least they wouldn't have to travel so far. "I like tha idea. Now do you mean swim in the water? Cause if we do that, I'm gonna need a shower later," meaning she'd be all fresh strawberry-ied. Meaning he could help her put it on those hard to reach places. Since he was such a gentleman and all.

* * *

Ed grinned. He could still smell it on her after who knows how many hours had gone by since her shower. But being there would definitely be better. "Even if we only stay on the shore, sand just gets _everywhere_." So either way it seemed his assistance would be required. "And by the way, the hilarity of yesterday _did_ hit me today."

* * *

"Good," Cha-Cha nodded, wiggiling down a bit so she'd be face to face with him. "Nobody can blame you for kissing me when I taste like strawberries," she assured him. Hint hint there was still some lipgloss on her lips.

* * *

He almost wanted to lick it off, but thought going with kissing her would be better. "Do you think any less of me knowing that a fruit can get me so excited so fast?" he wondered. He hadn't allowed himself to act much on it before. Were attractive scents aimed more at women than men? Maybe not, but still having a weakness out there wasn't something he liked to do.

* * *

"Think less of you?" Cha-Cha rose her eyebrows in genuine surprise. The thought hadn't even crossed her mind. Quite the opposite, actually. "I think...it's one of my new favourite things about you," she mumbled. And not just because she was benefiting from it. She'd almost call it cute, if he wouldn't take it as an insult. But it was amazingly endearing.

* * *

With the last of her lip gloss gone for now, he cuddled up against her. "Good, I wasn't sure how it'd come off. I find it kind of troublesome. And slightly embarrassing." Could be abused. "So treat this like your side. Emergencies only," he chuckled. "Because I'll probably pass out from exhaustion eventually if it's every night." Use this knowledge sparingly? Unless he started it, of course. Then it was okay.

* * *

"Okay, baby," Cha-Cha giggled. She'd do it as much as possible. Until she forgot to of course, where she'd give him a break. Then she'd remember and it'd be all over again. "And besides, it kind of makes sense that you'd be so crazy about it now. How many of your old boyfriends used strawberry shampoo and lipgloss?"

* * *

"Not many." If she was going to be doing it a lot, she'd better be prepared to be tickled mercilessly. And it wasn't only that he was worried he'd wear himself out, but that he might wear it out. That was something for her to consider. What if he got used to it? She'd have no advantage.

* * *

Cha-Cha didn't think about it that strategically. She'd use it as much as she could get away with. "So you love me most because I smell best. Sounds good to me," she grinned, kissing him one more time gently. The strawberries weren't as strong, but she could always reapply.

* * *

He laughed. "I loved you long before this was in the picture. Your strawberry scent is just the icing on the cake." Ed smirked, trailing a finger down her chest. "What I would give for actual strawberry icing right now..." The ideas a small red plant gave him was ridiculous.

* * *

Cha-Cha rose her eyebrows, biting her lip. "Yeah, I second," she nodded, imagining it. Yeah...yeah she could go for that too. She pulled him up to kiss him slowly, hands resting on his cheeks gently. "I love you, baby. So creative," she grinned.

* * *

Surprising, no doubt. "I try." He returned the kiss, grinning himself. "So are we going to the beach? It's probably now or never." Go now while he still was willing to get off her.

* * *

"I'd like to. Cept now you put these ideas in my head," she giggled, pushing on his shoulders. "You gotta get up first, honey. Much as I don't want you to," she smiled, kissing his cheek quickly. Somehow she got the feeling her shower idea would be put into action after the beach.

* * *

He rolled off and got up. "So did you ever leave the room today, or did you stay up here?" Ed hoped she hadn't been too bummed about being alone to stop her from having fun. He searched for something more beach appropriate than his current dark suit.

* * *

"I went to the drugstore for the lipgloss. Other than that...not really. The beach is just boring alone," Cha-Cha shrugged. It was better to go with him. She went off to find her swimsuit, taking the tube of gloss with her. She needed to reapply.

* * *

When they were both done they headed for their hotels section of the beach. Wouldn't be the same lifeguard, right? Different day, different time...oh good it wasn't. "Sand first, water to cool off?" he suggested. Otherwise they'd get muddy if they dove in and then tried to lay on the sand. Even with a towel.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded. The beach was less crowded at this time of day. Well, it was gonna be sun down soon. In an hour or two. All the better for them. Maybe the lifeguard wouldn't be as hard assed if he didn't have as many people to watch out for? That was what she was banking on, anyway. She set her towel down and grabbed the nearest twig, drawing designs in the sand.

* * *

Ed stretched out on his towel, watching her doodle. "Don't you know how to sit still and relax?" he asked, chuckling. Never stopped moving.

He figured they should behave themselves, since it was their last chance to enjoy the sand. Was talking and tanning the only thing they could do, then? How long would she last?

* * *

"No," she replied simply. A heart was soon traced in the sand, their names written in the middle. Eddie and Cha-Cha. An arrow through it. She could be cheesy romantic sometimes.

* * *

Ed figured he'd get in trouble for this, but he still reached over and brushed away the 'd-i-e' from his name. At least she hadn't written Edward, right? Deciding that if she was going to use a nickname for him, even though he'd just erased it, one had to be used for her to. Using a finger her changed the last a in her name to an i. There. Cha-Chi. Back to sleep he went.

* * *

Cha-Cha rolled her eyes, replacing the d-i-e. She left the i in her name, though. She liked it. "It's Eddie, honey. It's either Eddie or Joanie. Then we'd be something, huh?" she laughed, shaking her head. Joanie and Chachi. Well, Joanie did love Chachi.

* * *

"Joanie?" he asked, opening one eye. So much for ignoring her and taking a nap in the sun. "What?" He was too relaxed for this. Didn't follow.

* * *

Cha-Cha rose her eyebrows, and poked his side with her twig. "Happy Days? Joanie Loves Chachi? Come in Ed, you're old, you're supposed to know these things," she teased. How she even knew it was surprising. Odd things came on at noon sometimes.

* * *

"I will snap that twig," he jokingly threatened. "And no, I never watched it. Though I can sing the theme song. Figure that one out." The things you pick up...

* * *

"It's my twig!" Cha-Cha held it protectively, drawing designs around their heart. "It's a good show. But Chachi was a boy," she added, thinking about that one. She shrugged it off. She liked Cha-Chi, therefore they'd go with it.

* * *

"Can't win all the time," he said. "But hey, if you spell Eddie wrong it's pronounced 'ee-dee' which is a girls name. Both of us could switch. Then we'd be normal again." A boy and a girl. Only it would be seriously weird. Okay never mind normal again.

* * *

"Who said we wanted to be normal?" Cha-Cha grinned. She was currently drawing a sort of martian man into the sand. "I think we are normal. Normal for us. And our opinion is the only on that counts," she laughed softly. Naturally. Who cared what other people said, as long as Ed was still willing to kiss her?

* * *

"_I'm_ normal, I don't know about you..." he teased. "But honestly I don't think we're really that unusual. I mean, I think we've got the S&M club down the street beat for normalcy. Those are the people that should be chased off the beach, not us." As fun as it was bothering lifeguards.

* * *

"That is true," Cha-Cha nodded. Nothing against them but that was some weird stuff right there. A sun was added to her mix-matched picture, and she yawned into her fist. "And to be fair, clothes stayed on. Hands didn't even stray _every_where. What's the big deal?"

* * *

He didn't have anything against them either, but for a family vacation which would you rather have in front of your children? Ed thought he and Cha-Cha would win. Of course it seemed those were occasionally the last people you'd expect to be in there. Regular looking housewives looking for something to do or husbands with an itch. So appearance wise maybe they'd be preferred, but Ed and Cha-Cha had normal fun? Why was he stretching to make this example work? Moving on.

Ed rolled over onto his stomach, turning his face to continue looking at her. "You're missing the house and tree, hun. Every sand picture has them."

* * *

"I don't want a house and tree," Cha-Cha told him, just wanting to be difficult. She traced a friend for the martian instead, before doing random swirls and squiggels. A house and tree were boring. "You draw them if you want them there."

* * *

"I'm just saying that the poor martian doesn't have any place to live." Ed drew in the sand above his towel, so as not to disturb her masterpiece. He made a stick figure with exaggerated characteristics and a house around it. Wrote LB above the door. Now Lennie at least could live somewhere.

* * *

Cha-Cha looked at his drawing, confused. "Lost Baby? Little...Bagel? LB?" she asked. The stick man wasn't giving her any clues. "I'm lost honey, what are you doing?"

* * *

"Well I'm not drawing it for you, anyway," he laughed. "_Lennie Briscoe_ and I are moving in to this fancy, upscale house." He added on a room and put himself inside.

* * *

"Oh, I see." Cha-Cha nodded as though that all made sense. Went back to drawing. Wait a minute. "Do I get a room too?" Why would Ed and Lennie live together? They already established that those two were not together. Even after being to so many seedy hotels.

* * *

"Maybe if you had been the architect, but you didn't want a house, remember?" She and her Martian could live happily under her squiggles. "I'll spend weekends at the apartment." If he wasn't too busy enjoying the pool he'd just created.

* * *

Cha-Cha stared at his house jealously for a moment. "Fine. I'll live in my martian's spaceship," she huffed, drawing the UFO with her inside. Yes, her UFO had a window. "And we have a bunch of fun stuff in our spaceship and we have fun, and...and we're gonna zap your house," she decided, drawing the rays down to meet the roof of his house.

* * *

"Don't make us shoot your ship down," he threatened. He drew sideways sevens in the mens hands. Sevens doubled as stick figure guns. Ed sat up, the scene moving too far away for him to reach laying down.

* * *

Cha-Cha thought about it. "We'd put our intergalactic shields up," she added lines to her drawing, seperating the UFO from the house. "And keep shooting at you. Guns can't shoop down a spaceship anyway!" she giggled.

* * *

"Obviously you don't know Lennie that well then. He could shoot the sun down if he wanted to." Or was Lennie just Superman in Ed's opinion? His old partner was invincible if you asked him. "He'd just load...aim...fire!" He pounced on her, brushing apart part of their designs.

* * *

Cha-Cha squealed, not expecting the pounce. She ended up on her back, head resting on her spaceship. "Nobody can shoot down the sun," she wasn't convinced, and pushed on his shoulder. "We'd all be dead if he did."

* * *

"He'd put it back." He didn't move, keeping her pinned was more fun. Lennie could take on anything, and nothing could take Lennie down. Proven fact. Sort of. Survived three shots, that was impressive.

* * *

"I hope so," Cha-Cha grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck. She didn't mind their position, either. "You made me mess up my spaceship," she mumbled, pulling him down towards her. Now he pretty much had to make her a room in his house.

* * *

Ed strained against her arms, trying to stay above her. "Cha-Cha, with that lip gloss..." It was their last few hours on the beach, did she want to be chased off? Yes he pounced on her, but he wasn't planning on staying very long. Well he hadn't thought it through and now he wasn't planning to because the sun felt fantastic. But a room in the house he could do.

* * *

"What about it?" Cha-Cha grinned, leaning up to kiss him chastely. But he hadn't kissed her since she'd repplied, so how long could it stay chaste? She rubbed his back smoothly, smiling against his lips.

* * *

Oh she _would_ come to him, wouldn't she? Dammit the taste was even stronger than last time. He got a hand between them, pushing her gently away even though he was kissing her back. "Do you want to get kicked out of here again?" he asked, looking at her lips instead of into her eyes. He was too easy and he knew it showed. But he'd try.

* * *

Cha-Cha smirked, running her tongue along her bottom. "I guess not. You'll have to get off me, then." She leaned up to kiss him again, a bit deeper this time, knowing it would be hard for him to resist. She just couldn't help herself. There was something endearing about him when he got all flustered.

* * *

He returned it, but that didn't stop him from groaning in frustration. Or pushing at her again. Following her down didn't really prove his point though, did it? He pulled away, trying to look annoyed but failing. "Hun you've got sand in your hair." Ed brushed at it, a reason to be away from her mouth.

* * *

Cha-Cha moaned softly, for an entirely different reason. "I don't care," she admitted, a hand resting on the back of his neck. It would be great to be in their hotel room right then. Or even in the water. Or even totally alone on the beach. But she could try to behave, right? For now? "Add me to your house, baby," she reminded him.

* * *

He got off her to move back to his towel, drawing in another room and adding a female stick figure. There. Ed rolled over to lay on his back, extending an arm. She could lay with him. But if she kissed him they'd be running away from lifeguards in five minutes.

* * *

Cha-Cha beamed, leaning in to kiss his chest gently before resting her head on it. "This has been a pretty fun vacation," she told him. "All fights aside. Both with your parents, and...yeah," she nodded, running her fingers along his middle.

* * *

He nodded. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm glad you came. And...I didn't mean anything I said Friday." He'd never officially apologized, and he didn't think an 'I'm sorry' would ever come out because he didn't like the idea of her sitting on anyone. But he knew he shouldn't have freaked out enough to make her cry.

* * *

Cha-Cha got closer to him, closing her eyes. She'd take it. "I love you, honey," she promised. Just to make sure he knew. She didn't want him second guessing, or thinking she'd choose someone else, or anything of the sort. "And you are without a doubt the only person I need."

* * *

He didn't doubt it. That moment of jealous panic was just him being a guy. "I love you too." Ed smiled. "I just hope I can say the same when we get home. Although I made it nine hours here with you alright." _Are we there yet? Are we there yet?_ He just reminded himself of all the reasons he loved her.

* * *

"Hey!" Cha-Cha giggled, slapping his arm. "I was good in the car. Kind of. I wasn't that annoying!" she protested. Though yeah, the drive home would be pretty brutal for him. There'd be no beach for her to look forward to.

* * *

Maybe it would better! If there was no beach she wouldn't be as anxious to get there! ...Maybe? "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. You're a great road trip partner." That wasn't a lie, that was love! How many times had he had to use that philosophy...?

* * *

"Thank you, baby," Cha-Cha bought it hook line and sinker, smiling deeply. "Can I get something this time like...a colouring book? Or a sudoku or something?" Yes, sudoku. Cha-Cha was pretty good at those. Course she just wrote in random numbers in each box, but she won in her own mind.

* * *

_Please do_. "Sure. Whatever you need. Remind me to stop in the morning for something." He didn't know she liked Sudoku. Could definitely see her coloring all the way home.

* * *

"Or an origami kit or somethin," those were fun. Cha-Cha was good at making rocks. And clouds. And pieces of paper. She didn't have the patience for anything else. "Unless you want me to talk to you for the whole drive," she added just in case. She added valuable things to the conversation sometimes.

* * *

"We'll bring something just in case. I might need to concentrate on signs in areas I don't go through a lot, and that wouldn't be very fun for you." See, he was always thinking of her.

* * *

"No, it wouldn't," Cha-Cha agreed. "I wish they made better colouring books though. Winnie the Pooh is good and all, but what about a Too Wong Foo one?" she giggled. A Daniel Day colouring book would work too, but there'd be more bright colours in a drag queen colouring book.

* * *

"Write to the makers and suggest that," he laughed. That would be something. "Until then, we'll have to see what we can get a hold of." Care Bears. Pirates of the Caribbean? Hey, Johnny Depp. She could ignore the fish and swords.

* * *

"I know. Not that I don't like what they make. Maybe they'll have My Little Pony or something." She could at least colour over the ponie to make them more interesting. "Are you ready to go swimming?" she asked after a second, running her fingers over his chest.

* * *

"Yeah, sure." He started to get, removing his arm from around her. The sun had done it's job, he was incredibly hot. Ed hoped they were actually going to swim or float around a little more than last time they got in the water. As enjoyable as last time had been. But he wouldn't make her go very deep knowing she wasn't a fan of swimming.

* * *

Cha-Cha began stepping into the water, grimacing at how cold it was. After lying on the sand for so long, it really wasn't too welcome. She knew she'd get used to it though, and kept walking until she was a little over waist deep. "Wanna get kicked out again?" she asked with a giggle, serious if he was.

* * *

"Can I at least be in here long enough to cool myself off?" he chuckled. Falling under water for a moment, he popped up again to add, "Slightly longer than this." Yes he was cool, but he wanted to float around more.

* * *

"Let me know when you're done," Cha-Cha laughed. To pass the time she placed her arms around him. "Fireman?" she suggested. Just because they weren't being bad yet didn't mean they couldn't play. "You know, where you lift me up like a fireman would and spin me around?"

* * *

"I don't know if I can spin waist deep in water." But he would try just to appease her. Ed scooped her up in his arms. "I can't promise no falling over. You might go under." She didn't have time to rethink this though, luckily her hair ended up dry.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, holding onto him closely. "I like the other one too. Where you stand and I float and you hold onto my arms and spin me. We have to be in deeper water for that one though." Cautiously, she took a few more steps out.

* * *

"I can't help but notice both options involve you having the most fun." Lies, he enjoyed it too. But she was the only getting spun. Not really surprising, even light in water she probably couldn't spin her. Ed followed her into the deeper water. "Gimmie your hands."

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, taking his hands and carefully taking her feet off the ground. That always freaked her out a bit. She didn't like the feeling of no ground under her feet. But his arms were on her, so it was okay.

* * *

It sort of worked, but he couldn't get her going as fast as when she hadn't been completely underwater. Ed tried again and got a little more speed, but pulling her through water was tiring. He made his way back to slightly shallower waters, and motioned for her to follow. He could bend his legs and make a chair for her as he rested. She'd be feather light so even with her on him he could relax.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled, sitting down and wrapping her arms around his middle. "Having fun?" She couldn't understand why he was so tired. She felt just fine. The fact that she was the one getting pulled by him didn't exactly click for Cha-Cha.

* * *

"Tons, darling," he grinned. Okay so this was sorta how last time had started. Just sit and relax and they'd be safe to stay in water for however long they liked. "Any other thing you'd like to try?" As long as he got a second or two first.

* * *

"Those are the only two I know," Cha-Cha admitted with a laugh. If he knew some he could feel free to suggest them. She could even try to lift him if he wanted to. No promises, but she could try.

* * *

No no, he liked playing with her. Better for both of them. "You wouldn't like what I'd come up with," he assured her. Peaked her interest? He'd stand by what he said though. Smirking.

* * *

Cha-Cha rose her eyebrows. "What would you come up with?" she asked, leaning in close to him. While somen of it had been kissed away, there was still strawberry gloss on her lips.

* * *

"Stand up," he said, urging her off him. In his defense he had warned her. He sank into the water a bit to get a handful of wet sand. He tossed it at her, making sure it didn't get near her face. Yes, a sand fight. Mature.

* * *

Cha-Cha was expecting something different when he sank down like that. The outcome wasn't as pleasant as the expectation. "What the hell, Ed?!?" she exclaimed, the splat of sand hitting her chest and getting into her top. That was it. She grabbed a handful of her own, throwing it at him forcefully.

* * *

Ed darted aside, but it still hit his arm. "I told you!" If she'd listened to him and not asked, this wouldn't have happened. He threw some at her again, prepared to go under water if she returned it.

* * *

"You're a big jerk," she shouted, getting a bigger handful this time. And he'd gotten her all prepared for something fun! That sealed it. She was never doing anything for him ever again. Not unless she wanted to.

* * *

"What part of 'you wouldn't like what I'd come up with' did you not understand?" he laughed. He didn't return fire this time, waiting to see if she'd stop too. "May I approach?" Ed asked. Hug her and say 'I told you so' one more time before apologizing?

* * *

"I thought you meant you were gonna...steal my bottoms or something! That would be fun for both of us. But _no_..." she sighed, thinking about it. "Do you have sand in your hand?" she asked, taking both of them to inspect.

* * *

"No." Once he'd proven it he hugged her. "I'm sorry I didn't think to steal your suit," Ed chuckled. But if it was considered fun, then she should have known not to expect it. Because she'd like it, the opposite of what he'd said. Told you so. "But that doesn't mean it won't happen later."

* * *

Cha-Cha hugged him back, laughing softly. "I'll pretend to be angry when it does," she winked, leaning in to kiss him. Like something like that would ever upset her. She wasn't exactly a modest person.

* * *

No no no no aw damn the lip gloss got him. Keep it brief. ...No? Okay family friendly. Friendly? Not over the top...this wasn't working. Push her off. Any time now. He _hated_ that lip gloss, he'd lose his ocean time! But he loved it with a passion too. Like her. Exactly. Maybe his fingers playing with her suit bottom would get her distracted enough to stop. Then they'd have a chance of not getting kicked out.

* * *

Cha-Cha didn't hold off even when his hands went to his bottoms, the kiss only deepening. What was he worried about? The beach wasn't half as crowded as it was the day before. The lifeguard probably wasn't even looking their way, if he was still there at all. It had tp be getting late, past six.

* * *

He wanted to continue, but continue to what, exactly? If for some reason her swim suit disappeared, what then? Play around then return it? Ocean sex? With that many people around? Even if they couldn't see what Ed and Cha-Cha were doing clearly, it'd probably still be easy to assume. Even she'd be too controlled for that, right?

He hooked his thumbs in either side of her suit. Teasing her with potential removal was good enough for now. Maybe. "Hun I don't want to stop, but I feel like we should." Actually he felt more like the desire to play in the room would shadow his desire to play in the water.

* * *

Cha-Cha bit her lip, closing her eyes. He didn't feel like they should? Oh, Ed. "How far out do you think we have to go for them not to notice?" she asked, moving his fingers further into her bottoms. Cha-Cha's self control was non exsistant. She was pretty into his idea.

* * *

He was trying to be the responsible one of the two and not get them arrested or at least accused of...something. They weren't really indecently exposed under water, were they? But she was asking for it, and how long could a guy really fight her off?

Ed pulled her deeper into the water. Shoulder depth had to be good, right? They weren't close to anyone anyway. Water wouldn't be on her mind for long, so she couldn't be nervous. And forget the sides of her bottom half. One hand held her waist as he kissed her hard, and the other just went down the front.

* * *

For once in her life, Cha-Cha was able to control her volume. Somewhat. They were far away enough from other people that a few quite moans wouldn't be heard. It was hard to disguise what they were doing, but by going slow and controlling their movements, they could make it a little less obvious. They ended quickly, both with the desire not to be caught, and the thrill from the possibility being there.

Cha-Cha beamed once they'd finished, trying to catch her breath. "Okay. That's one of the things I wanted to do before I died," she made a checkmark on his chest with her finger.

* * *

"Really," he laughed. "It wasn't on my top ten. Although I've decided it should have been." Well there they were, lifeguard free and happy. A new experience accomplished. A good afternoon.

* * *

"Yes, it should've been," Cha-Cha nodded, rubbing his chest. She wasn't as hyper as before, a content smile on her face. "And you never would've done it without me, would you?" she added. She couldn't see him as a guy who'd take alot of risks that way.

* * *

"Considering I couldn't even walk beside my dates, no I don't think I would. Not in the past fifteen years anyway." Probably not ever. Maybe fool around then call it quits. "Our next vacation we'll have to figure out a way to top this." And by their tenth vacation, hopefully the challenge would be forgotten.

* * *

"I don't know how you even top this," Cha-Cha admitted, kissing him softly. The lipgloss by now was officialy gone, but she continued to kiss him anyway. "We'll have to think of something really good. Maybe brainstorm in the car," she decided, arms around his neck.

* * *

Everything strawberry related had been washed away, but Ed hadn't even noticed. He laughed quietly, pressing his forehead against hers. "Let's get out of here before we get prune skin." Maybe lay out in the sun to dry?

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, climbing off of his lap and out of his arms carefully. Now she felt worn out, and lying on the sand sounded wonderful. It was amazing that they hadn't been caught, but she did notice a few odd looks as they headed towards the shore. If she weren't who she was, she might've been embarrassed. As things were, she was the furthest thing from. Almost proud.

* * *

Before Ed stretched out he asked if she wanted any more lotion on. Could have faded or been rubbed off. He would not be held responsible if she burned or tanned unevenly. Besides, even after their fun in the water rubbing suntan lotion on her was still something he wouldn't pass up.

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned, lying down on her stomach. "I'd love that," she mumbled, closing her eyes. What a day. What time was it now, close to seven? The sun would be heading down soon. That was alright, though.

* * *

They probably wouldn't be out long enough to be in danger of the sun. The sun itself wouldn't be that strong soon. But just in case he needed to get every inch of her. "I'm not ready for New York," he sighed as he took his place on the other towel. The weekend was almost over.

* * *

"Me neither," Cha-Cha sighed, passing him the lotion. She unhooked her top like she had before. "But I'd miss it if we never went back. I just wish it had a beach." But then it would be perfect, wouldn't it? Then they'd never have a reason to leave. "That would be a good job for you. Lifeguard," she realized with a giggle. Mainly so he had an excuse to be shirtless every day.

* * *

"Well New York City might not, but the state does touch the ocean. I'm sure we'd find one eventually." He laughed at her suggestion. "As long as you don't pretend to drown every hour, I could probably do it." It was not hard to imagine her faking a need for mouth to mouth often.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, resting her head on her folded arms. "Would the big bad lifeguard kick me off the beach?" she teased. Only if he wasnted to get kicked out of their bed. Totally not kidding.

* * *

"No, he's smarter than that," Ed laughed. He knew the consequences of upsetting her. After giving it another moments thought he added, "That would require leaving the city, wouldn't it?" He actually...could almost see him ditching it. What good was it now? It didn't appreciate all the years he put into protecting it. It wouldn't know if he was gone. Only a few citizens would notice. But he didn't think she'd agree. And honestly he was too lazy to move.

* * *

"It would," Cha-Cha nodded, sighing. "Too bad. I wouldn't want to leave the city." She was just a New York girl. What other city would accept a drag queen in the general public? Well, sort of. But she was more commonplace around there than anywhere else. She didn't mind getting stared at, but people could do and say awfully mean things.

* * *

San Francisco would welcome her, more than...San Antonio. "I wouldn't either. Not if you were in it." And he knew he was stuck in it. Ed smiled at her, thinking to himself that New York was probably going to be his home forever. No use holding a grudge for long. "And I'd make a horrible lifeguard."

* * *

"No you wouldn't," Cha-Cha shook her head. "You were a detective for years, so you're in good shape. You can swim, you can obviously lift somebody in the water. And you'd look good in a speedo," she added, grinning. Wasn't that the most important part?

* * *

"Oh god," he laughed, rolling over. Speedos were not for him. Never. "I will never be a lifeguard," he decided.

* * *

"What, why?" Cha-Cha giggled, rolling onto her side. "I said you'd look good. I would know," she touched him with her foot. "I personally think you'd be a great lifeguard. And then I could go to the beach every day and watch my man and action." AKA, make sure no hot young things faked drowning? No, never!

* * *

He'd like to keep his clothes on while he worked, thank you. "It's just not for me, hun. Besides, then I'd be the evil guy breaking up everyone's fun. Unless the state gives permission for sex on the beach to be more than just a drink." That'll be the day.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, imagining it. "Well, now we can say we have," she smirked. Or at least, in the water at the beach. Actually on the beach would be a little uncomfortable. What with all the sand and all. "Don't you have experience as the evil guy though?" she added.

* * *

Say what? Ed was a little taken aback by that one. Maybe the gang unit time was breaking up fun, but he didn't think anyone involved in committing murder would consider that a good time. A few sick men might, but mostly not.

He didn't allow himself to snap. He could sort of see how she'd make that connection. Both enforcing rules, right? They did do the good cop bad cop strategy now and then, but he didn't think she'd know that to be referencing it. "I don't know," he said finally. "I considered myself on the good side."

* * *

That didn't go over right. "You were, honey," Cha-Cha assured him quickly, putting a hand on his arm. "You were. Was just saying, both a detective and a lifeguard are rule enforcers...and doing bad stuff is fun for some people. So the bad people probably thought you were the evil guy..." she trailed off, hoping that made sense. Or at least, didn't make him feel worse.

* * *

"I know what you meant, babe," he said, taking her hands in one of his. It had just been a strange thing to hear. A little startling, but after he thought about it, he got it. And he didn't just throw out something sarcastic like he probably would have, had it been anyone else. "Each side thinks the other side is wrong."

* * *

"Right," Cha-Cha nodded, relieved. "But your side actually was right, of course." Though, today they played the criminals. Imagine if the lifeguard had caught them? They would've lost more tha their beach time.

* * *

Yes, they were very fortunate they hadn't been caught today. Speaking of today, it was slowly turning into tonight. No one was swimming and more and more visitors were packing up. It was still pretty light out, but it was getting chilly. The ocean wind was cold.

Not quite ready to leave, but not wanting the wind to start convincing her she was ready to go, he thought ahead. "Hun, come over here." Ed inched back on his towel, laying on his side hoping both could fit. Hug her so she wouldn't want to get up. A brilliant plan.

* * *

Cha-Cha beamed and gladly scooted over into his arms. One arm draped around him, and she closed her eyes. "You didn't bring a sweater, did you? Or a blanket?" She didn't really want to leave yet either, and especially not now. A quick glance over proved that the lifeguard had gone off duty.

* * *

"No, I didn't. But..." Ed reached for her towel, and sloppily put it over her. Sand got all over them, but hey, you're on a beach. Deal with it. "...this sorta works." He straightened it out as best he could. Pulling his arm under the impromptu blanket, he pulled her close to him.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed at their makeshift bed, cuddling closer. "Tuck me in?" she asked, kissing his chest gently. It wasn't so cold when he held her that way. The sun wasn't down yet, but they could watch it go down together. It seemed crazy romantic, and she'd never done it before.

* * *

"Mhmm." Maybe it was selfish, but as they laid there Ed he couldn't help but think this vacation had to get him a few points with the girls. Teddy bear. Fun in the car. His strawberry addiction. Even more fun in ocean. And ending the weekend with a sappy, ocean sunset.

* * *

He'd most certainly scored points with her. Big time. It wasn't hard for him to do, though. Everything he did made her love him more. "I wonder if this is like how Florida will be," she thought aloud.

* * *

"Florida will be even better," Ed said. No chance of parents ruining a single second. A week of sun instead of two afternoons. Disney World and a larger beach. A proper boardwalk and sponge docks. Alright he honestly couldn't tell the difference between a boardwalk and a sponge dock. But the citizens down there took the distinction seriously. It might take a while for him to get back on track financially. He knew she didn't want to wait long, but he wanted to go when he could spoil her to bits. An over the top vacation to make up for years of staying home.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled contentedly, snuggling into him. "Can't wait," she mumbled. Well, she would wait. But she sort of hoped it would be soon. As in, soon enough to seem real. But she wouldn't rush him. "Have you gone there before?"

* * *

"Just once, about thirty years ago. It'll seem new to me again, I'm sure." Ed ran a hand up and down her arm. It was a little early to need that to stay warm, but he wanted to anyway. "Disney was definitely made for you, babe."

* * *

"I think Disney's older than me," Cha-Cha pointed out with a wrinkled nose, giggling. She got what he meant though. "Can I wear Tinkerbell wings when we go? Cause I always wanted to be a fairy. The princesses were good too, but Tinkerbell was my favourite," she was sort of a cranky little fairy, but that was why she liked her.

* * *

"They update it regularly and you were in mind the last time." She would point out the flaw in that idea, wouldn't she?

"There are costume shops if you want the whole outfit, hun. You can't get me into anything, but you can walk around as any character you like." Few people over four actually did, but who cared? They had to make those adult sizes for a reason. Oh yeah Halloween. Maybe they could go on...no that was only two months away.

There was a way that could work. Suck it up and take the next thing he found. He'd turned his nose up at a lot of opportunities. If he got over himself and got a job, the savings could go toward the trip and then some. Was two months soon enough?

Ed wanted to keep the idea to himself, but knew if he told her he'd feel more obligated to follow through. "We could go...Halloween?" Did she have plans? She couldn't possibly still Trick or Treat!

* * *

Cha-Cha shook her head with a laugh, but didn't say anything. "That soon?" she asked with big eyes. She was expecting next year sometime. But Halloween? That sounded pretty good too. "There's usually something at the GLBT Centre...like a dance or a social or something. But they have it every year...you think we could do it?" she added. Didn't want him to commit if he didn't think he could handle it.

* * *

Oh, she did do something. "Well not if that's something you go to every year," he said, backtracking. "We can go another day." He didn't want to interrupt anything that might get the girls annoyed with him. "Sometime not around a holiday or something."

* * *

"Honey," Cha-Cha stopped him. "It's one year. They wouldn't miss me." Besides...it would probably be less of a headache if she didn't go that year. How many people would mention the Miss Flawless competition? And her absence from it?

* * *

"If you don't think they'd get mad at me for stealing you away...I think we could." He, like her, had imagined it being next year. But Halloween seemed like a good excuse for her to dress up and run around. Not that going on an average day would stop her, but...if it were Halloween, there was actually a good chance he'd join her. "I'll stop being so picky with jobs." Would an employer let him take a vacation after only working there two months? He'd figure something out.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed. "I don't want you to take something that you won't be happy with." If he was miserable, she'd be miserable. She didn't mind him being picky if there was nothing there for him. "I don't mind waiting for next year. But if you want to go at Halloween, I'd be okay with it." Very okay.

* * *

Her sighing was contagious. "I'm not going to be happy with anything." He couldn't see himself ever having a passion for a career like he had for being a detective. Desk jobs and numbers or angry customers just weren't appealing. "Maybe we could just go regardless of if I've found something." The savings still weren't hurting. He'd never given her the exact amount, and it wasn't because she'd panic about going broke.

* * *

"We can do that?" Cha-Cha asked, surprised. She trusted him that he wouldn't do anything to put them in financial harm. But even she got nervous at that idea. "Baby...Florida is expensive," she told him in case he hadn't realized.

* * *

"Yes," he admitted. They could. "I just...I'd _like_ to have something set up." He didn't absolutely have to. "I know it's expensive, but I've put it off for so long already, hun."

* * *

"I don't mind you taking longer though. Just means I have to stick with you till you pay up," Cha-Cha teased. She didn't want him to do it just because he felt he had to. She wanted him to be comfortable, and to feel like he could.

* * *

Only those with towels and blankets remained on the beach, and it was slowly starting to get a little darker. "To be honest, we do have a while to go before we need to worry. I was saving for years for a situation like this. Well, being unemployed, not exactly Florida. The only things aside from food that's using it is my car and our apartment." And no offense, but if she could afford the apartment on her own, he definitely could.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, not the best with money. But she trusted him. "Only if you're sure," she said softly. Of course she really wanted to, but she wanted a place to live, too.

* * *

He'd never included her when going over the numbers. She'd never seen a bank statement and he kept his checkbook with the register with him. It seemed too...well, adult and boring to share with her. Cha-Cha was just supposed to wake up and go without a worry. If she was starting to get nervous about a the judgments he made maybe he ought to include her to set her mind at ease? "I'll think about it for a day or two," he offered. Reassure himself it wasn't just a good idea because he wanted it to be.

* * *

"Okay," Cha-Cha nodded. She couldn't lie and say running down the streets of Disney World wouldnt be fun though. All dressed up as Tinkerbell. "When we go, will you be my Peter Pan?" she asked hopefully, kissing his chest. "Or you could be my Quasimodo. People say I'm sorta an Esmerelda-type," she added proudly.

* * *

"No and no. Tights or a hunchback, no way." Anything but that! No Beast either. It had to be a nice, good looking character. Ed moved his arms down her a bit so his fingers could play with her bare tummy.

* * *

"Okay, okay, fine. What about Phoebus? Esmerelda falls in love with him," Cha-Cha suggested. And no tight! In fact, Phoebus had facial hair. He was manly. Perfect right? "I can be Esmerelda, then....fairy Esmerelda." She still wanted the wings.

* * *

"...I'll think about it." He'd probably agree to keep her happy. Unless he thought of a character with less color. Like Jack Skellington. Though he couldn't see her wanting to go as a torn apart rag doll. With wings? Hey, Tinkerbell had that short dress, right? They didn't necessarily have to go matching...he wanted her in that.

* * *

"So you will. Good boy," Cha-Cha beamed. She'd make sure he did. She wasn't going if he wouldn't wear a costume. What was the fun in that?

* * *

If word ever got back to his mother that her grown son wore a costume around Disney while escorting a drag Tinkerbell, she'd probably have a heart attack. Ed's friends would be sad they hadn't been there with a camera.

"What makes you think I'll just do whatever you want?" he laughed. "I said I'll think about it."

* * *

"Cause you'll look pretty silly if I'm all dressed up and you're not," Cha-Cha told him. "Not to mention, if you don't dress up, some other guy will come and scoop me up. Maybe somebody who wants to be dressed up as Peter Pan or Quasimodo or whoever," she added.

* * *

Did Ed really have the body structure for Peter Pan? No. He did not. "I'm sure I could find something I'd rather do than those." Like...the black FBI agent from Lilo and Stitch. Oh, wasn't Ed living on the wild side now. Suit, tie, sunglasses, briefcase. That would be so hard.

* * *

Cha sighed, rolling onto her stomach. "You never play with me. What about Aladdin? Or...Woody?" Ed would make a great cowboy. She'd pay good money to see him in the hat. "You have to be something."

* * *

As she rolled she took what little towel was on him with her. "Hey, come back," he pouted. Uh, insisted! No pouting. "I promise I'll think of a Disney character soon. _Promise_," he repeated.

* * *

Cha-Cha considered for a moment before rolling back in to his arms. "Only if you promise," she mumbled. She stayed silent for a few more moments, her eyes closed and her body lined up against his. "You cold?" she asked.

* * *

"Only the part that was used to you being there." Which was an entire side of him. So yes. Ed tugged a little of the towel onto him, making sure it still mainly covered her. Hugging her was good enough for the most part.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, kissing him gently. "I was thinking how good a warm bath would feel right now, before getting into bed. But if you're comfy, we don't have to leave," she smirked lightly, her face against his chest to hide it.

* * *

"Wait for the sun to finish, then we can go." It was almost down. It was pretty. And you wouldn't get this in New York City.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, watching it go down. It really was pretty. Usally she'd find it boring, but there was somethng so comforting about watching it with him. She wasn't sure what else to say, and settled for rubbing his back gently.

* * *

With the sun down and done, he nudged her a little, saying, "Ready to get up." They were covered in sand, and he didn't do his best trying to shake it off. In the hotel room he was happy to see the bath tub and shower were slightly bigger than they one at home. "Bath or shower?" he asked. "Or...shower before a bath. Unless you want your own ocean." All the sand would have no where to go.

* * *

He made a good point. "Shower first, I guess," she decided, peeling off her bathing suit top. There was sand in it. "This is your fault," she told him with a grimace, shaking the wet sand into the garbage.

* * *

"Me?" he chuckled, getting out of his own and not bothering to shake it right now. He wanted to get it off himself first, so he got into the shower. "I didn't tell you to wear a two piece, did I?" Less sand to worry about with one. Although he was more than happy to help wipe it off her when she got in.

* * *

"You threw sand at me!!" Cha-Cha reminded him. Right at her chest. Now she had clumpy sand all over everywhere. "That wasn't a very nice thing to do at all. Make it up to me," she ordered, trying to remain serious.

* * *

"Oh yeah." He'd forgotten about throwing sand at her. Heh heh. "That didn't wash off while we were...well I guess your top was still on..." Hey, these things happen. "I plan on making it up to you, hun, get in here."

* * *

Cha-Cha took off the rest of her swimsuit, putting it on top of his to stop the sand from getting all over the floor. She stepped in, sighing at the feel of the warm water. "It was a good day, though," she said, arms wrapping around his neck. They'd have to come back some time, but she didn't want to say so. He probably didn't want to see his parents again soon.

* * *

"Yes it was." Even though Ed had been at the house all morning and most of the afternoon, he'd forgotten until he thought over the day. But he didn't even change his answer to "For the most part" because it had been more than canceled out by time with her. "Sorry for throwing sand at you. May I help you get it off?" He loved how there were always conveniently placed washcloths in hotel showers.

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned. "You probably should." Whether with a washcloth or with his hands, she wouldn't mind. "Since you threw it at me, and all." It had gotten stuck in her top mostly, but he was still very much allowed.

* * *

Ed proceeded to clean her off slowly. The hotel provided soap was boring and might as well have been unscented. "Do you mind if I use this on your body?" he asked, holding up the much preferred strawberry shampoo. Afterward it seemed like a silly question.

* * *

It would be odd to be washed with shampoo. However, what strawberry did to Ed was worth it. "Please do," she smirked, watching him with a bitten lip. She'd have to wash again later, but it would be worth it.

* * *

It bubbled, it cleaned, it was just slightly more jelly than regular soap but even that disappeared into foam after a moment. Ed had assumed she'd agree just so he'd go crazy later. Which was fine because he'd thought of that too. Although trying to wash the sand off while being hardly and inch from her was hard. Hmm. He removed his arms from his neck and turned her around. Hugging her from behind, he could still do her chest. Which had to have been clean by now, but going over it a third time wouldn't hurt, right? Sand could hide.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, leaning her back against his chest. That was definitely allowed. "You should throw sand at me every day," she decided in a mumble. Or just cover her with strawberries all the time. It turned her on almost as much as it did him.

* * *

"I wish I could. But we only have dirt in the city, and that wouldn't be as much fun." Although that would make her officially dirty.

The aroma was already getting to him, even after their strawberry fun earlier. It would take daily doses of this to get old. He started on her arms, and resister the urge to do her legs. Ed knew if he began to move in that direction he wouldn't make it to them.

* * *

"Well then just...do this every day," she decided. Couldn't they shower every day? It was alot more fun that going solo. She leabned back to kiss his jaw slowly. "I think we should go grocery shopping when we get back to the city. Get some fresh fruit."

* * *

He laughed. "Sounds like a plan. Just not every day or you'll wear me out." Psh, what a lie. Look at how they'd been even before she discovered this weakness. He assumed they were, for the most part, rinsed of sand by now. "Switch to bath?" Less focusing on keeping your balance and more on fun!

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, very into that idea. After switching the showerhead off and the tap on, she waited for him to sit first. While this tub was big enough for her to sit on the other end, it wasn't as fun that way. How would they reach each other to wash each other off?

* * *

Ed did, glad it was actually long enough so he didn't have to bend his legs. He offered a hand to help her down. Didn't have far to go, but the shampoo had made the bottom a little slippery. No fun if she fell.

* * *

Cha-Cha sat down between his legs, her back against his chest. "I love you," she mumbled, closing her eyes and smiling lightly. This was how to end a day. The perfect way.

* * *

Ed smiled too. He tossed the washcloth at the other end. The sliver on the faucet was almost like a mirror, and the way she was laying, the reflection was distracting. Needed to be blocked. "Love you." Warm, close, wonderful.

* * *

Cha-Cha grasped his arms, pulling them around her. She could probably fall asleep right then and there. "You tired?" she asked. Making sand UFOs took alot of work. Among other things.

* * *

"Not really." The 'other thing' in the ocean hadn't been as energetic as it would have been anywhere else. "But it looks like you are." He shifted a bit so she'd be more laying down than sitting up.

* * *

"I'm comfy," Cha-Cha replied, smiling. Comfy and warm, and she just felt safe with him. "But gimme a couple minutes and I'll be okay. For once it's you being the awake one," she teased, pinching his side playfully.

* * *

"Me?" he asked. "You're always the one to fall asleep." Ed had no idea if that was true or not. Just a natural reaction to being teased. The months of him coming home exhausted were forgotten. He only remembered the nights when they did do something.

* * *

"True," Cha-Cha admitted. She usually fell asleep first once they were done at night. But she was able to get up early, it wasn't her fault! It wasn't always her first, though. "Do I smell good?" she asked after a minute to change the subject.

* * *

"Very." Delicious and inviting. "But if you're tired don't remind me." No fair teasing him only to go right to bed. He swished the water around for something to do.

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned, sliding down a bit in his lap. "What if I'm not tired?" she asked, kissing his chest gently before sliding back up to taste his neck playfully. If only the shampoo tasted like strawberries, too.

* * *

If it was flavored too, Ed would never survive. Eating and sleeping would be put on hold. "Then go right ahead." He caught her mouth with his. It might work better if she were laying the other way, chest to chest. Although twisted the way she was was pretty impressive.

* * *

Cha-Cha returned the kiss, trying to shift so she could reach him better. The way they were, it would be easier for him to touch her. But that wasn't fair, for him to always make the moves, was it? Somehow she got shifted onto her side, one hand on a nipple as her mouth pressed against his neck.

* * *

He enjoyed touching as much as being touched. Though normally he was more to the point than she was, so this was a pleasant change. He moved his hands over her body but wasn't as insistent as he usually was. He tried hard enough every other day, if she was feeling like leading the way, by all means...

* * *

Finally Cha-Cha got herself turned all the way around, so that she was sitting in his lap, much like they were in the water. Her legs were bent under her, and it allowed her to grasp his other nipple as she kissed a line up his throat. When he did this to her, it got her turned on almost instantly. She wasn't sure if it would do the same to him, but at the very least, it made the scent of strawberries closer to his nose than it was before.

* * *

It worked almost as well on him as her. And in this case, almost was still a lot. "Hey," he laughed, trying to bat one of her hands away. "We don't have as much room in here as the ocean. I don't want to get out yet." And that would definitely get him out to their room. Although today was try something new day...and her current position was making it look like it might not be that uncomfortable or hard to stay right here... But that was jumping ahead. He batted her off to prolong the playing beforehand.

* * *

"We don't have to," Cha-Cha mumbled, not stopping her actions. She grabbed the shampoo, putting some into her hand and rubbing the lotion over his chest. The scent of strawberrys filled the room again, her hands circling the upper part of his chest, before travelling under the water to touch his stomach and below.

* * *

  
He'd been fine with the first part. Fine. Really. _Fine_. Wasn't this convincing? Let her do whatever for a while, he'd return it when he had room to do it right. Fine as long as those hands stayed above water level and- "_God, Cha-Cha_," he gasped. Here? Seriously? Changed his mind. He wouldn't argue. Ed lost it.

* * *

  
Cha-Cha watched him, her mouth resting near his ear. Exactly the reaction she was looking for. After a few more rubs in the right spots, she brought her hand back up teasingly, resting it on his shoulder. "Okay, fine, I'll stop," she smirked, knowing that was the last thing he wanted now.

* * *

  
"Don't," he breathed. He didn't say stop. No stop was in that sentence. Well, maybe give him a break from what she'd been doing, but if she even thought about getting out of the tub she was dead. Maybe a break. Sort of. Not really. He lifter her chin up so he could kiss her hard and to get her to stop talking. Little less talk and a lot more action please.

* * *

  
Cha-Cha smirked, returning the kiss. Her hands didn't return to where they were, still desiring to tease him. Couldn't be that to the point, could she? That would be too nice. "Whatsamatter, lover?" she mumbled after breaking the kiss.

* * *

  
Playing hard to get? Now? "I want you." Don't make him wait. She started it quickly, finish it quickly. That was all he wanted. She didn't make him work for it earlier! What gives? Either resume, let him get on her, or he'd grab for her.

* * *

  
"I hadn't noticed," Cha-Cha teased, her mouth pressing against his chest lightly. It took some bending, but it was worth it. "What are you gonna do about it," she whispered, kissing a line across the centre of his chest.

* * *

  
Fine. He'd warned her. Sort of. Well, her fault for not being physic. He didn't thinking entering her without obvious permission was polite. That, and she'd moved too much. But he could do the same to her as she'd done to him, so he reached for her.

* * *

  
Cha-Cha bit down on her lip, trying very hard not to move. If she moved her hips, it'd give her away. She wasn't turned on in the least. Nope. She wasn't very convincing, was she? She was able to bear about thirty seconds of that treatment before she was on him, kissing him deeply. They did it in the ocean, how much harder could a bathtub be? It had sides.  


* * *

  
It hadn't even been because of the strawberries. Whose scent, by the way, still lingered after the bath. Which didn't help things when they got into bed. The drive home the following day was quiet. Cha-Cha had her coloring book and Ed was too tired to try to carry on a conversation. Too early, too litte sleep. 


	24. Summer Rain

Summer Rain

Home in New York

It was past midnight, and way past Cha-Cha's bedtime. She had been sleeping. Actually, legitimately sleeping too, not the 'sleeping' that often occurred in their bedroom. She'd been startled awake, nearly impossible for her to get back down.

The thing about New York City was the excess of tall buildings. When thunder and lightning decided to strike, it was, simply put, heart attack inducing. Really an awful racket, and despite how deep a sleeper Cha-Cha was, even she couldn't get through a night with thunder.

"I hate New York. Let's move," she grumbled sleepily, folding the pillow over her ears and turning onto her side.

* * *

Ed didn't open his eyes as he felt around for her. "Sure," he slurred, not paying too much attention to what was going on. "Whatever you want." He draped an arm over her side. It was too late to be up. Or was it early? The thunder hadn't bothered him, but she'd jumped a little and that woke hm.

* * *

Cha-Cha watched him in awe, shaking her head. "How are you sleeping through this?" she asked. Her eyelids were drooping again, but another bang opened them for good. After a few seconds she gave up on covering her ears, squeezing her eyes shut.

* * *

One eye opened to see a drag queen in distress. With an amused sigh he moved around so he could hold her, pulling her back to his chest. "Better?" Girls were such wimps. It was just a little noise.

* * *

"Kinda," she replied softly, a smile appearing slowly on her lips. Definitely, absolutely, always when he held her that way. But he didn't need to know that, did he? No need for him to get a big head or anything. Hers was big enough for the both of them. "What time is it?" she asked, too tired and lazy to look at the clock herself.

* * *

Ed groaned a bit as he leaned up and over her to see the clock. "Three," he said, falling back down. "What are we doing up at this hour? It's just rain, hun." He yawned. A little rain never hurt anyone.

* * *

"It's not just rain!" Cha-Cha protested, pulling his arm tighter around her. "It's...it's thunder so they say. More like the end of the world but yknow," she sighed. There it went again, a large roar from outside, causing the drag queen in his arms to jump.

* * *

She was too cute. "You're alright, you're fine," he cooed like he was talking to a child. "Roll over and face me, sweetheart, maybe that will help." The arm on top of her loosened it's grip slightly. He accepted the fact that he was not going back to sleep.

* * *

"'M not scared," Cha-Cha insisted stubbornly. The next bang from outside proved her bluff. Jumping, she flipped over and against him faster than the flashing lightning. "Much," she continued, smiling weakly. At least she had him there to protect her. She hated storms.

* * *

Ed held her firmly, suddenly fine with the storm. He didn't mind comforting her. Not at all. In fact it should storm more often, because while they always held each other as they drifted off to sleep, he was rarely clung to like this. Not bad. "This is what I'm around for, hun. What else can I do to help?"

* * *

Cha-Cha shrugged, pulling the blankets up over them higher. The other thing about rain; it made the whole room cold. Maybe that was just her. But it felt cold. She snuggled close to him gratefully, her arms around him tightly. "Tell the thunder to shut up so I can sleep," she mumbled with a grin. Lightning she was fine with, thunder was annoying.

* * *

"Shut up," he said to the ceiling, pretending he was looking through it to the sky. It simply rumbled back. "Great, now he's angry. Sorry." He tried.

Ed agreed, the room was colder. The blanket was so high it might as well be over their heads. Hmm. With a chuckle he pulled it up further, completely covering them and creating a small hiding place.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, ducking her head under the covers with him. It didn't block out the noise that well, but it made the whole situation better. She felt closer to him than she had before, and clung to him a bit tighter. "I dunno...it's still pretty scary," she grinned. Not really, but she wouldn't object to being held even closer...

* * *

He would be happy to oblige, if he could figure out how. "Hon, I don't think...how..." Open to suggestions. He wrapped both of his legs around one of hers.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, shifting against him a bit. Okay, it was hard to get much closer than they already were. "Or you could just kiss me. That works too," she teased, playfully trying to pull her leg free.

* * *

"I thought about that, but it's not very original." He squeezed his legs lightly so she couldn't escape. Regardless of whether or not it'd been done before, he kissed her. Finally a thunder clap that didn't make her jump. "Am I going to have to do this all night?" he said, pretending to whine.

* * *

"You poor thing, so hard done by. Keeping your girlfriend happily generally ensures your happiness too," she reminded him, her mouth travelling to his jaw. When she was happy, she found ways to make his life wonderful. When not...watch out.

* * *

"True." Ed's hands caught her and brought her mouth back to his. He wanted to , since he was trying to calm her, shouldn't he be the only participant and she the recipient? It was his turn to go for the jaw, and then neck, and wherever else he felt like traveling.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, her eyes closing again as he kissed her. That reminded her how tired she actually was, the storm waking her up in the middle of a dream. Another crash from outside opened her eyes again, and she ran her hand along his back.

* * *

Ed looked up from her collar bone._ Oh come on, she'd had her eyes closed and everything! It's on now,_ he thought to the thunder. "Is it just the noise that bothers you?" he asked, going back to what he'd been doing. One hand absently felt around until he found the hand on him, taking it and moving it to rest beside them, lacing their fingers together. The other one after. He moved a little lower down her chest. She couldn't reach him with her mouth and he had both her hands hostage. Oh, frustrating someone didn't help to relax them? Oops.

* * *

Cha-Cha raised an eyebrow, watching him go. "Aren't you tired?" she teased, struggling to free a hand from his. Just one hand. She felt like she could easily sleep in any quiet moment, but he seemed determined to change her mind. "It's 3AM," she reminded him, touching him with one of her free feet. See? He couldn't hold down everything!

* * *

He forgot he didn't have that leg. Not that he really needed to hold her down or anything, it was just more fun. Ed looked up again with a laugh. "Are you seriously going to wake me up, ask me to make you feel better, and then when I try to, tell me to go to sleep?" Not fair.

* * *

Cha-Cha watched him. "What would you do if I did just do that?" she asked slowly. She was more amused by the fact that 'calming her down' automatically involved pinning her down and getting on top of her. Even at three o clock in the morning. He could justify it for any number of reasons but at the end of the day, was that not what was happening?

* * *

"I'd tell you that you were out of luck, because the thunder and I have a competition going on now. And you're in the middle of it." Ed could tell what she was thinking. She was too easy to read when she was tired. He released her leg and hands and rolled over onto his back, bringing her with him. There, now she was on him and he could wrap his arms around her waist. How did this help? He'll let you know when he figured it out. What he did figure out was that it got really hot really fast with both of them breathing under the comforter.

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned, leaning up to kiss his neck slowly. That was more like it. Now she could control how far they went and how fast they got there, rather than him pinning her down. Being still tired, the kisses were lazy, pressed to whatever was closest in her reach.

* * *

Ed smiled and sunk deeper into his pillow. He knocked the blanket back a bit for a little air. Not to mention light, he could hardly see her. Did she look scared still? With the little light coming in he could see she looked pretty much normal. Good.

It hadn't thundered in a suspiciously long time. He'd gotten her to smile, and laugh, so maybe he'd won and it had give up.

* * *

Cha-Cha shifted a bit, leaning over him to kiss him chastely. "Is it slowing down?" she mumbled, resting her head back down on his chest. Maybe then she could get some sleep. If he was going to let her, that was. Ed could be more distracting than the thunder was.

* * *

"Sounds like it." Too soon, he thought with a sigh. She probably wanted to get back to sleep. That had originally been what he wanted too, but now he was having fun. His hands were looped loosely around her waist still. He contemplated moving then a little lower. Was he going to get swatted for it? Wouldn't know unless he tried...

* * *

Cha-Cha rolled her eyes, grinning. She called it. "Good. We can go back to sleep then," she murmurred, punctuating it with a too-loud yawn. Now to see if he'd let his wandering hands stop and let her sleep or not. She was guessing not.

* * *

"Honey," he murmured, low and inviting. "We're both up. Might as well enjoy it." His hands ran down and then up to the middle of her back again, massaging slowly. She was not going to wake him up just to shoot him down.

* * *

"Baby, it's three am. Keep doing that and I'll definitely fall asleep," Cha-Cha added, snuggling deeper into his arms. How could he be so into her so late? "You're such a man," she added with a grin, closing her eyes insistantly. Always in the mood. He would have been perfectly content to sleep the night away if the storm hadn't woken them up.

* * *

That didn't work. He stopped massaging her. Yeah he would have slept but now he wanted to play. It was her fault! She started it! Or maybe it was him he didn't really remember. He just knew that if he tried out all her sensitive spots eventually he'd hit the one that worked tonight.

But first, to properly do that...he had to flip them over.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed as he flipped her, that grin not disappearing. A sleepy grin, but nonetheless. "Honey, if we have sex now, I won't want to tomorrow," a total lie and they both knew it. "Wouldn't you prefer I was actually awake enough to return the favours?"

* * *

"Fine, no sex." This wasn't sex, so he could continue. Spot one, her thighs. He rubbed slow, deliberate circles on the inside of her legs with his thumbs. Watching for the slightest reaction that meant it was having an effect.

* * *

Cha-Cha bit her lip, her eyes sliding closed. Okay, fine. That was allowed. Very, very allowed. Wait...wasn't that letting him win? She wasn't sleeping! Taking his wrists, she moved them away, swallowing hard. "Good night, honey. Get some sleep," she told him.

* * *

Ed didn't fight her, and let her remove him. What to try next... Spot two, chest. Each hand went for a nipple. If he did it wrong she'd laugh. Right, he could get her to arch up a bit. The better reaction. He even got her to gasp occasionally. But they were under that damn comforter and it went smoother when he could see what he was doing.

* * *

He did it right. Cha-Cha tried to control her breathing, very, very awake now. Not that he could know that. After a few minutes she grabbed his hands again, relctantly taking them off her. "_Edward_," she warned in her most stern voice. Hard to do when you were ridiculously turned on. "Do I have to tie your hands together?" she asked, wiggling to get out from under him. It took her still sleepy brain approximately five seconds to realize what she said. "Keep your dirty comments to yourself," she added with a barely hidden grin.

* * *

His hands followed her arms to her own hands. Never threaten that to a detective if you weren't serious. "Sweetheart, just say the word..." he began, kissing her throat, "and I'll get the handcuffs."

* * *

"I said, keep the dirty..." Cha-Cha swallowed again as he kissed her. No, no no, it was three in the morning and she was tired. They'd been sleeping. It was not sex time. And he should not have been so good at changing her mind! Somewhere in the distance, the thunder continued to roar. "You are beyond evil, Green."

* * *

"You're doing it to yourself. If you'd just stop fighting me..." All would be fine. Really now. What was so hard?

* * *

Cha-Cha huffed. "I'm _tired_, Ed. Why didn't you hit me up earlier if this was what you wanted?" she whined. As much as she wanted to roll over though, dumb, simple curiosity got in the way. "Do you really have handcuffs?" she asked quietly with wide eyes.

* * *

He smirked. "Of course I do." Came with the job. Detective's weren't all work and no play. "And I would have but you wanted to go to sleep early. Being the gentleman that I am," Ed grinned, "I let you."

* * *

"So you see fit to do this at three am?" she sighed. But the handcuffs thing...was sort of kind of interesting. She tried not to be too obviously into the idea, but it was going to be very hard to get back to sleep.

* * *

"Absolutely." No hesitation whatsoever. Why wouldn't three am be a good time?

Spot three wasn't really a spot. More like a tactic. Lightly thrusting his hips against her, teasing her, knowing she could feel that only so much fabric was between her and a very ready him.

((Im sorry, did you wanna keep this fluffy I seriously dont know whats gotten into Ed this week. He never used to do this o0))

* * *

That was it. That was absolutely it. Cha-Cha shoved him off of her with all the strength she had, pushing him forcefully onto the other side of the bed. It was easy to create the illusion she was angry. It was hard to keep it when she ended up following him, climbing on top. If this was happening, if he was waking her up at three am, then he could forget being in control. He'd get what he wanted, but it would be on her terms.

* * *

Ed awoke, still feeling quite smug. He knew he could get her to give in. And for the record, she was the one who had woken him up first. He just insisted they stay up a bit later than planned.

It was probably after noon. He didn't want to look for a clock or his cell. Poking his head out from under the blanket he had to blink quickly, blinded by light. Yeah. Had to be after noon. Good thing it was a Saturday with nothing planned.

"Cha-Cha, you awake?"

* * *

Barely. Moaning softly, Cha-Cha shifted a bit. "...no," she replied finally, her eyes staying shut. Though she could see red, the light from the afternoon sun glaring into the room. It was too early to be up. Then again, it was at three am, too, and he didn't seem to care too much. Dick. Literally.

* * *

"Good morning," he smiled. He was partially under her, and he shifted her around enough so he could prop himself up on one elbow. "You still look tired, hun. Rough night?"

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, really not interested in being awake. "You are mean," she muttered, rolling over to face away from him. "And you know...you took advantage of me," she added, grinning so he couldn't see. She didn't mention how much she liked being taken advantage of.

* * *

Ed placed a hand on her arm, squeezing her lightly as he joked. "Honey you were yelling a lot of stuff, but you never once yelled stop. And no means no, but I didn't hear that either."

* * *

Cha-Cha bit her lip, grinning. "It was the fatigue. I couldn't think right," she protested. No, she definitely couldn't think right, though it wasn't so much sleeo-depravation putting her mind in a tizzy. More like his hands. And some other body parts.

* * *

"Mmm," he nodded. He let go, getting slightly bored with her back facing him. "You feel like lunch?" he asked. "We ought to get up. It's probably past twelve."

* * *

"I want breakfast," she sighed, pulling the blankets back over her. She wanted to go back to sleep. She wasn't getting very much lately. Giving up, she tilted her head back a bit to look at him without having to roll over. "Compromise? Brunch?"

* * *

"Sure." He was more awake than her, and once his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room he got up and headed for the kitchen without much problem. He was used to weird hours. And he didn't feel any need to complain about last night. Besides, she was the one who pounced on him. He was just playing around. He had agreed to no sex. Completely innocent was Ed. "What do you feel like, I'll bring it to you."

* * *

"Whatever," Cha-Cha called back, cuddling deeper into the bed. She could eat anything, as long as she wasn't forced to move too much. Yes, she was going to be lazy that day. It was Saturday, she was allowed.

* * *

Did they even have food in this place? he wondered. Cereal. Boring. Fruit? ...sure. Why not? Oh, coffee was needed, definitely. He gathered a few other things so she'd have a choice. Found a small tray to put it on. Returned to the princess still hiding under the covers.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled at him as he came in, finally sitting up. "I hope that's coffee," she added. She was not in a tea mood. She needed some waking up. "Remind me to never ever stay up past midnight ever again," she added. Though to be fair, she'd fallen asleep as soon as it was over.

* * *

"Mm, can't promise anything. But I might remind you." Wasn't he caring? Ed handed her a mug. "Sleeping Beauty emerges."

* * *

Cha-Cha smirked. "Beauty. Right. I haven't washed my face or anything today," she made a face, running her tounge along her teeth quickly. Gross. She gladly took the coffe though, blowing on it gently before taking a sip.

* * *

"You look fine," he said, smiling behind his own coffee cup. They both needed a trip to the bathroom, but he didn't see either going any time soon. He munched on the fruit he'd found.

* * *

"Thank you for lying," Cha-Cha teased, stealing a piece for herself. "Well, I would've been washed and dressed by now, on a regular day," she added, rolling her eyes.

* * *

"But you're getting brunch in bed. It can't be that bad." Still sitting up he pulled the top blanket over his legs to get warm again. After watching her for a moment he snickered. "You went to sleep early. You slept in late. How could a little break in the middle leave you this tired?"

* * *

'Because, it...took alot of energy," Cha-Cha complained. She'd already been tired as it was. He made her stay up for another however long it was. And it wasn't like they were just lying there, either. She grabbed a few more fruit pieces, rubbing her eye quickly.

* * *

Ed munched on a bagel, still amused. He felt fine. Almost perfectly awake. Almost sorry she was so tired. Almost.

* * *

Cha-Cha rolled her eyes at him, downing a good amount of coffee in one go. "Don't you dare laugh at me. This is your fault," she instructed him. She had wanted to sleep. He made it awfully difficult.

* * *

"I don't see why you're complaining. I made you forget about the storm, didn't I?" He considered it a job well done. "You always whine the morning after," he joked. "And I had agreed to no sex, remember? _You_ jumped on me."

* * *

Cha-Cha stared at him. "Okay, you are not blaming this on me. Do not even try," she told him in disbelief. No way was it getting pinned on her. Was he crazy? Did he want hot coffee on him? Cha-Cha was easily provoked when she was tired. "It' hard not to have sex when you're..._undulating_ on me," she added.

* * *

"I'm not blaming you," he said. As if it were something bad. "I'm giving you the proper credit. There's a difference. It's a positive thing, Cha-Cha."

He took a sip of his coffee. "Do you have plans for the day?" Did she need to be up and dressed and out of the apartment by a certain time?

* * *

"Not so much," Cha-Cha admitted before she could think better of it. Oh no. If she had no plans, and he had no plans...she could pretty much see the wheels in his head turning. "Don't be getting ideas though. I haven't gotten much sleep lately, thanks to you, so I should probably catch myself up."

* * *

"Fine," he said. "I felt like going out anyway. It'll leave the apartment nice and quiet for you." When was the last time he'd gone out without her? Seen his friends for more than a quick drink after work?

* * *

Oh. So he didn't have any wild and crazy adventured planned for them. "Fine," she shrugged. Well, she was tired anyway. Though the coffee's buz was edging away at her bleariness. "What are you going to do with them?" she asked.

* * *

Oh he had. But he wasn't going to admit to being so disappointed. And he tried hard enough last night. She wasn't going to make him beg twice in a row, was she? Not if she was just going to whine afterward anyway. He shrugged at her question. "I dunno. Whatever comes to mind."

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, biting her lip. No, she was not disappointed he was leaving. Being disappointed was letting him win. Besides, she didn't want to sleep with him anyway. Nope. Not at all. "That's nice," she said softly, not a very good actress. But she couldn't let him know that he was very, very much wanted. Didn't need him to get a big head. He was already gloating enough about last night.

* * *

Yes, but it was getting very disheartening very fast in here. "Take a nap and you can come," he suggested, moving the food around enough so he could get up without anything falling over. "Meet a few of them." One at a time was good if they were coming to the apartment. If he took her out with him she could handle more than one, right? He'd be with her and getting her attention so no one else would be jealous if she picked a favorite.

* * *

Well that wouldn't be so bad. Sleep, then meet some friends? She'd only wanted to meet them for months. "I like that idea," she decided, putting the tray on the side table and wrapping her arms around his waist. What? There was no point in lying in bed if they weren't holding each other. "Who will I get to meet?"

* * *

Ed looked down at the arms around him. He'd planned on getting up to shower, but if she was going to show some interest in him without him starting it today he could wait. With the brunch stuff gone he shifted back to laying down. "Vaughn, probably. David or Eric...I'm not sure. Group changes each time." David, if he remembered correctly, was the one who mentioned him meeting at a place nearby. Ed had said he'd try but no promises, might be busy.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, resting her head on his chest, her hand joining it. She had no problem getting up close to him when she was initiating it. And after a good-ish night's sleep. "Where do you think we'll go?" she added, kissing his chest gently.

* * *

"That thing around the corner and down that I never remember the name of," he answered. They went there all the time, he knew how to get there, and that's why it had been suggested, but he never remembered the name. He smirked when she kissed him. What happened to 'I'm tired and it's all your fault'?

* * *

"Mm," Cha-Cha nodded, signalling that she knew where he was talking about. Not that she really cared at the moment. More focused on trailing those kisses up to his neck. Hey, if he could be horny last night, at a totally inappropriate time mind you, she could be now. And he had to let her win, since he won last night! Not without some convincing of course but...she was hoping Ed would forget that part.

* * *

He had no interest in playing hard to get. He wasn't even sure it was possible for him. Glad they were starting off undressed. Just made things so much easier. "Mmm," Ed hummed happily. "Getting your second wind, my dear?"

* * *

Cha-Cha smirked, her hand travelling up his chest to rest on his neck. "Well you know. Coffee just wakes me right up," she mumbled, the kisses trailing up his neck to press against the ear slowly.

* * *

Ed moved until he could catch her mouth with his. He pressed a hand against her lightly, urging her to roll onto her back, wanting to follow after and onto her in case she was just teasing him and planning to get up in a minute. "What time do you want to go out?" he asked. "After dinner?"

* * *

Cha-Cha easily rolled onto her back, even helping to pull him onto her. "I dunno, um..." it was hard to say. Well, more like hard to think. About anything. "After this. Figure out the other details afterwards," she decided, her legs already bent at the knee, her feet flat on the mattress.

* * *

She was...her legs...that was...wait a minute. "This is too easy," he said, looking up from her neck. Should he be suspicious or relieved? He didn't mean to imply she was easy. She was ridiculously hard to get sometimes, even after all the time they'd been together. Which was why this was surprising. He wondered why he was even questioning this.

* * *

Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow at his confused face. Okay, that was never a good one to see when a man was on top of her. "What is?" she asked, bringing one leg teasingly around his waist. Why would he think she had an ulterior motive? Cha-Cha never had an ulterior motive. She was a perfectly honest angel.

* * *

"This. You never..." Well, hey, why fight it? "Never mind." He resumed kissing her. Grabbed her hips.

...it was just too easy. He tried not to think about it, but he couldn't move on from simply kissing her.

* * *

Cha-Cha broke the kiss, keeping one hand at the back of his neck as the other wandered. "I never what?" she asked innocently. Her tongue ran along her bottom lip quickly, trying not to show any emotion on her face.

* * *

Well, okay, 'never' wasn't the right word. She pounced on him regularly. But she was just complaining ten minutes ago. Now no coaxing was needed? Make up your mind, woman.

She was right there. Under him. Undressed. Leg around him. Waiting. There wasn't a problem here. He'd go with it. Yeah. Finally, no begging. Ed was experiencing a great example of the 'careful what you wish for' scenario. But he was forgetting the suspicion more and more. "Never mind," he said again. He kissed her again, more into her change of attitude.

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned, returning the kiss. Whatever suspicions he was having, she wasn't surprised they were ebbing away. What could she say? She was irresistable.

((skip ahead?))

* * *

((mkay))

Ed played with her short curls, not surprised her head ended up back on his chest. Happy sigh. A nice change of attitude, indeed. "We've still got plenty of time before anyone would be there," he said absently. "Do you want to go out to a movie or something? A...three hour dinner. I bet we could make it last that long if we tried."

* * *

Cha-Cha moaned as a response, rubbing her cheek against his chest gently. Apparently her brain hadn't gotten the memo it was talk time now. Try again. "Yeah, okay," she nodded, her eyes closed. Not that she was all that tired...a little tired, but she'd live. She was insanely comfortable though, and the thought of moving to go anywhere was unwelcome. It had to happen sometime though, right? "Where do you wanna eat?"

* * *

"We'll find something. We always do." He'd gone through the kitchen today. Nothing exciting for brunch, even less for dinner. Did they ever have food? "Come on, rise and shine." He started to sit up slowly.

* * *

Cha-Cha was about to protest, but couldn't work up the nerve. She sat up slowly, getting out of bed and searching for fresh clothes. The closet would probably be the best place to look. Good job, brain. Looking inside, she bit her lip. "Did...did we do laundry this week?" she asked slowly. There were a few things she could wear...all old and not the best fit. Nothing she'd be thrilled to meet his friends in. Wonderful.

* * *

Did they even do it last week? "No, but hun you look good in anything. And in nothing. But preferably anything since we're leaving." He would wear the first thing he found. He didn't need to impress anyone.

* * *

Cha-Cha bit her lip harder, shifting through the very back of the clothesrack. Something had to be decent, right? No leather. No pleather. No...weird furry skirt thing. Ew. Seemingly matching furry vest thing was also out. What was she honestly thinking when she went out sometimes? "Okay...what's worse," she started. "Bare midriff or ridiculously short dress?" either one would be business as usual on a regular occasion, but these were his friends.

* * *

"Worse? That's not what I'd say." Both sounded great to him. His friends, for the most part, probably would agree. "I vote dress. Haven't seen you in one for a while." Normally skirts.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, pulling the dress out. She wasn't kidding when she said short. The skirts he enjoyed so much would be modest in comparison. "Remind me to do a wash," she told him. Pause. "Better yet, remind me to remind you to do a wash."

* * *

"I will, I will, eventually. I miss some of your stuff anyway. Do you want the bathroom?" She would need the mirror, right? He'd just change in the bedroom and be done in two minutes.

* * *

Cha-Cha looked at him odd. "Honey, I think I've seen you naked before. It's okay," she teased. She went to their dresser in search of underwear and tights. "So what are your friends like?"

* * *

"Well I didn't know if you wanted a shower. And if I was in there too we'd never get anywhere." Actually, he needed one. Good thing he brought it up.

"Oh I don't know. Typical friends." He headed for the bathroom.

* * *

"It would probably be a good idea," Cha-Cha nodded. She followed him in. No, they'd never get out the door if they showered together, but she needed to brush her teeth. Wash her face. Choose a wig. Then she'd get in after him. "I don't know what typical guy friends are like," she reminded him.

* * *

"Well you know. Typical in any kind of crowd. There always has to be the quiet one, the loud one, the flirt..." He set the clothes he'd grabbed onto the counter. When the water was warm he got into the shower and continued. "Each one becomes obvious after just half an hour."

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned, squeezing some toothpaste onto her brush. "Am I going to be fighting off men, Eddie?" she to him called over the sound of the running water. As she brushed, she forced her eyes forward to keep them away from the shower. Of course, the mirror infront of her gave her a clear view. Sighing, she turned her body a bit.

* * *

"I'll be fighting them off, you'll be having fun," he guessed, just teasing anyway. Ed was the one and only man in the group to have dated a drag queen. Well, okay, Steve had a single date. That didn't count. He knew the old philosophy of the two involved having no interest in dating a queen because the point of being gay was to date men, not women. But they'd be fine with her seeing Ed. Whatever he wanted, right? And maybe they'd change their minds? They were easily influenced. The other two, if they were there, were extremely curious. Those would be the two that, if anyone was going to be fought of, would be. Didn't help that one of said two was the flirt.

* * *

"Naturally," Cha-Cha giggled, putting her brush back and grabbing a face cloth. As long as they knew who she was going home with, they'd have no problems. And as long as they weren't as stupid as her own friends. "How many are there in all?"

* * *

Ed thought about it. "Around ten. But usually only four or five show up." They tried to meet regularly, but they'd only once had everyone present. The first time they started their weekly meetings years ago. Aside from last week Ed hadn't gone for months, too busy trying to see Cha-Cha, and others missed for their own reasons.

* * *

"Anybody you don't like?" Cha-Cha could resist asking. Hey, there was already one or two! Just because your friends were friends with somebody didn't mean you liked them. There were tons of queens Cha-Cha could do without.

* * *

"Should I tell you after so you aren't biased?" In other words yes. He could survive without David. Normally he didn't bother Ed much, but he currently was on a 'Cha-Cha is stealing all your time' kick. Every conversation lead up to it eventually. It was getting annoying. His friend didn't understand just how difficult it had been to see her.

* * *

"Meaning there's somebody," Cha-Cha giggled. "On second thought, don't tell me. I'll try to guess for myself." It couldn't be so hard, right? If Ed didn't like him, she probably wouldn't either. Plus, she'd be able to tell from his face.

* * *

"It's not that I don't like him exactly, he's just been...dumb, lately." Hopefully he'd be better tonight. "Good luck," he said, honestly interested if she'd figure it out. Grabbing for a towel he came out, drying off quickly.

* * *

"I'm extremely good at detecting annoying-ness," Cha-Cha informed him. Poking his bare stomach as she swapped places with him in the shower. Just because it was there. "As long as they're better than my friends, we'll be fine."

* * *

"Yeah, you haven't done much to bother them." Not compared to him killing anyone. "Be nice when you figure it out." His only request. Or he'd be hearing about his _abusive_ time stealing girlfriend.

* * *

"I will! I will I will. Can I do like the back-hand compliments and stuff though? Like..." Cha-Cha shrugged, thinking about it. "'Oh Eddie, your friend's so cute!...you know, for a white boy'?" she grinned. That wasn't fair though, white boys were very cute. But an annoying guy wouldn't be as cute as her Ed anyway. It worked out.

* * *

He considered this. Anyone who wasn't being insulted would find it funny. Win three lose one. "That's up to you," he decided. "But if you piss them all off, I can only take so many in a fight" he teased.

* * *

"Okay fine. What about... "oh, nice sweater! My mum got me one just like it when I was five," Cha-Cha thought that one was pretty good, actually. For something that took five seconds to come up with.

* * *

Ed laughed. "Again, do whatever you want, say whatever you want. But I can only take on two. Maybe three if one is Steve." She could joke around. Just don't flat out insult them. He had to see them again even if she didn't.

* * *

"Ed, I am a very nice lady. Your friends will love me," Cha-Cha assured him. "And even if they don't you still will. Or at least you'd better," she warned him. Hey, she didn't dump him when Rusty and Grace wanted him to! And she would've had better reasons for it.

* * *

"I know, I'm very lucky." Lovers like her were hard to find. His friends would need something more than 'She sorta insulted me' to get him to consider walking away.

He was dressed before she was out, and he sat on the counter, waiting. "I'm sure everyone will like everyone."

* * *

"I hope so," Cha-Cha nodded. She was in for another ten minutes, alternating between singing loudly and making off the top of her head comments. Finally she was out, wrapping the towel around her whole body like a woman would.

* * *

"Why don't you air dry," he suggested with a grin. "We've got time, I'll watch. I mean wait?" Intentional mix up couldn't be helped. Honestly sometimes he didn't know what happened. He was almost shy around her in the first few months. He'd been more of a gentleman. Commented on how gorgeous she was. Now he just bluntly said how much he wanted her. Which was fun and saved time, but wasn't the gentlemanly thing to do.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, raising an eyebrow. "Sure you don't want to just help?" she asked, only half kidding. That would very much make them late. If it didn't lead to other things, it would at least distract them. But like he said, they had time right? She teasingly offered him the towel, smirking.

* * *

There was nothing in the world Ed wanted more than to just grab that towel.

"You're such a tease," he said, trying to convince himself he wasn't imagining what part of his lover would need the most attention. Hey, some spots were hard to reach...

There would be more than distractions if that was started. "Another time. Or I'd need another shower."

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, shrugging. "Fine then. You should probably just leave the bathroom, then, if that's what you're worried about," she teased. Hey, she needed to get towel-dry somehow! If he wouldn't do it for her, she'd have to do it herself. But that had the potential to have the same effect on him as if he were doing it.

* * *

"I probably should." But he stayed put. It couldn't get him that worked up, right? She toweled off in front of him in the morning before. No problem. Why would this be different?

* * *

"Suit yourself," Cha-Cha shrugged, sitting down on the edge of the bathtub. Yes, she towel-dryed in front of him sometimes. But that was different. She had a purpose this time. Crossing her legs, she held one in front of her, slowly dragging the towel up the length of it.

* * *

Ed's eyes followed her every move. Didn't care if he got caught. He was allowed to look at her.

"Do you feel like dancing...or just...eating...?" He'd forgotten his own question for a moment. And she'd just started.

* * *

Cha-Cha forgot herself for a minute. "You want to go dancing? Really?? Eddie that's a great idea--" wasn't she supposed to be doing something...? Oh yeah, seducing him. Whoops. She went slowly again, not crossing her legs just yet. "Both. What are you in the mood for?" she asked with a grin. She meant in terms of food, but it could be misconstruted in other ways, she supposed. Not that is was intentional, of course...

* * *

Ah, but Ed was prepared for this. He did it to her too often. "Both." Had they never really gone out dancing? What was wrong with him? They had to have had at least one free night. He went all the time when he was single... More free time, he supposed. "When I said the thing around the corner, I meant the thing with the dancing." Specific, he knew.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded. "Do you mean dancing dancing or club dancing?" she asked. Two very different concepts, both fun to do. In a club you could get as close as you wanted without getting arrested, but in a hall you felt like you were in an old, classic movie. Finally she switched legs, taking her time.

* * *

"Club." Ed loved her legs. A well known fact. And a well used fact, apparently. She was going painfully slow. They'd be here all day. He couldn't sit and just watch for all day. Hurry and get it over with before he had to do something.

* * *

Cha-Cha could tell he was watching her, trying to hide the grin on her face. "What's up, baby?" she asked innocently. Why was he staring at her, his mouth hanging open like that? She really did have no idea.

* * *

"Taking long enough?" Sarcasm was good for situations like these. Sound annoyed, not intrigued. He hopped off the counter. Really needed to leave before this got out of hand. "I didn't grab socks."

((ya dude, he'll be back *snickers at the hopeless Ed* ))

* * *

Cha-Cha just rolled her eyes, giggling again. Of course he didn't. When he came back--and he would come back--she'd be standing, trying to get the water off her back.

* * *

Yes indeed Ed returned. And within the thirty eight seconds he'd been gone he decided that it didn't matter if they were late. They'd be there all night.

"Just let me do it already." As if she couldn't do her own back solo. But he didn't mind. Not at all. There were a few hard to reach spots he'd be happy to help with too.

So they'd be fashionably late. Big deal.

* * *

((skip ahead again XD))

There wasn't time for another shower, so Cha-Cha tried to dress quickly. On second thought, maybe seducing him hadn't been such a great idea. She wasn't good under pressure, and beauty took time. "What's up with us lately?" she asked as she fastened some earrings in. This was three times in twenty four hours. They'd always been active, but come on...

* * *

"I don't know," he admitted, looking himself over in the mirror. Presentable. Good. "If I didn't enjoy it so much I'd say it was a problem." He hunted for shoes. "Maybe we've become addicts. There's probably a support group for it," he joked.

* * *

"I dunno, don't addicts jump on everybody? Least I only jump on you," Cha-Cha giggled. Humming as she rooted around for a necklace, she finally chose the one he'd given her. Why not? She had silver earrings on, and she could casually show off what an awesome boyfriend Ed was. Two birds, one stone. "I don't think we'd even make it through a meeting, if there was one," she added with a smirk.

* * *

"Yeah I don't see how talking about it would help. I think it'd only remind me what I was missing as I sat there. But maybe I'm addicted to just you. That's possible. Some alcoholics only drink a certain brand. I only jump a certain girl." He smiled at her jewelry choice. "Do you need help with that again?"

* * *

"Well, the thing about support groups is...they're not as fun as sex," Cha-Cha admitted bluntly. Well they weren't! "So if they wanted me to quit, they'd have to use a better tactic. Like...I dunno. Jumping on trampolines or something." Nodding, she turned her back to him, handing him the two pieces.

* * *

He hooked it together easily, asking "You'd choose a trampoline over me? That hurts." A trampoline would wear her out ten times faster, and was only a one person activity. This was good bonding time. Yeah.

* * *

"Maybe not over you, but it's more fun than just sitting in meetings. Now if you could incorporate sex into trampolines..." Cha-Cha trailed off, thinking about it. That would be something. She was sure they could do it somehow of they wanted to. Laughing, she turned around to get a view of him. "You look handsome," she commented, adjusting the collar on his shirt.

* * *

"Oh god no, it'd be the water bed all over again." Horrible, horrible time. He almost shuddered.

He felt better after the compliment. "Thank you. You look great too. And you weren't kidding, that thing _is_ short."

* * *

Cha-Cha was almost tempted to buy a water bed. She was almost the cruel. But then she remembered he'd never sleep with her againm and the idea was out. Funny as it would be.

"You love it, baby," she reminded him with a grin, taking his hand. "You ready to go?"

* * *

"I do." After double checking that all of her that needed to be covered was, though unsure how that was possible, he was ready to leave. "Yeah."

It was a short walk to the meeting place. It was exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. What if they didn't like her? She didn't like them? She didn't like how he himself acted around them? Who knew, maybe he'd pull a Danny from Grease and be completely different.

He counted on everything going smoothly.

* * *

Cha-Cha was a little nervous too, but tried not to show it. There was always the chance they really and truly wouldn't like her. She could deal with that, but imagine they were able to change Ed's mind, too? That would be a little more devastating. Not that she thought there was a real threat of that, but...always that small possibility. "Just make me a promise?" she asked him. "Even if your friends hate me, you gotta stay with me, ok? Unless you hate me too," she laughed. She didn't think he needed to be told, but just in case.

* * *

"They'll love you, Cha-Cha, but it's a promise. Not going anywhere. Your friends aren't fond of me and you still love me, today proved that," he smirked. "So it's only fair." If he had to he'd stay away for a while. He'd gone the past few months without seeing them a lot. Not much would change.

* * *

"True," Cha-Cha beamed. Nothing Grace and Rusty said could really change that. He had a point. "If we don't end up liking each other though...how's that gonna work? Like, do we keep trying, or give up?" she asked. She still hadn't given up hope that Grace and Rusty would one day love him.

* * *

"It depends on who it is," he admitted. If it was David, Ed didn't really care. They'd been drifting anyway. Vaughn, they'd try for. But he was one of the curious ones Ed had a feeling would follow Cha-Cha around. Didn't matter that he was straight.

They'd gotten to the club fast. Maybe they could circle the block...? He held the door open for her as he searched for his friends. He grinned when he spotted them, but then laughed nervously. Oh. Seven had shown up. Great. "Hey!" they all called when they saw him. "Where ya been!" "Long time no see!" all got mixed together. And they hadn't even walked to their table yet.

* * *

Cha-Cha was sure to keep her hand in Ed's at all times, to assert her position. It was hard not to laugh at his popularity, though, squeezing his hands. "It feels like something outta 'Cheers'. If...you know, they were all gay," she laughed. She did her best to walk on her tip toes to catch a sight of his friends, though it was hard on heels. From what she could see though, not bad.

* * *

Ed lead her over and asked why so many had come tonight. He'd been expecting four.

"We heard you came last week, and that you'd probably be here again," answered one. All eyes were wide and roaming, taking all of her in. "Rumored you wouldn't be coming alone," said another. Ed looked to his innocently smiling best friend. _That so?_ "Come on Ed, introductions!"

"Alright alright. This is Cha-Cha-" another delighted outburst of greetings "-Cha-Cha, this is Brent, Vaughn, Tom, David, Steve, Mark, and Jackson."

"We're gonna test ya later," Steve teased.

* * *

While Cha-Cha was used to attention from men, she had to admit this was pretty exciting. "Ed, your friends are cute!" she gushed, moving her arm to wrap around his waist. They were! And so friendly, too. They better be careful, or she was gonna get a big ego on her! Waving, she winked at Steve.

* * *

"I like her," Steve decided. Tom agreed. Well, that was easy. The group was around a table made for five, one of many that surrounded a dance floor. Most were sitting, the others standing. They'd left a chair open for one of the two that had just arrived. Ed sat, expecting Cha-Cha to simply sit on his lap. They were low on space, after all.

"Aw Ed, give the lady the chair," insisted Brent, waving his beer bottle at him as if to chase him away. The fact he was seated beside the previously empty chair wasn't coincidental. Steve, who had the privilege of being waved at _and_ having the seat on the opposite side seconded Brent's suggestion. David was still eying her outfit, unimpressed.

* * *

"Aw, it's ok. I can sit with Ed," Cha-Cha teased. She was being pulled in two different ways and she didn't mind it at all. Disappointed cries came from the direction of the empty chair. "But he gets me every day. It won't kill him," she decided with a giggle, moving across to sit with Steve and Tom. It was official; she loed Ed's friends.

* * *

Ed rolled his eyes. She _would_ ditch him. He kept an eye on David, the only one who hadn't given an enthusiastic hello. If he was annoyed with Cha-Cha getting Ed's attention, how did he feel with these two already attaching themselves to her? Mark seemed to be going that way too. He doubted Cha-Cha would notice, since Tom was now leaning down to be between Cha-Cha and Steve, wanting to give a more personal hello than the group cheer. And to prevent Steve from getting any more attention.

Vaughn was happy where he was beside Ed for the moment. Poor guy needed some love, his girl had been snatched. Smiling, he said, "Okay, I may have mentioned you promised to come tonight."

"Thanks," Ed laughed.

"Hey, I didn't think you'd bring her, you never do." He was obviously pleased Ed had.

* * *

Cha-Cha had three or four guys up in her face, and she was loving every minute of it. A ton of drinks had been offered, millions of compliments made, and the smile was not coming off her face. Looking around Mark a bit, she beamed at Ed, pretty sure he'd get her meaning from it. Not a Rusty or Grace in the crowd, that she could see. She accepted Tom's offer of a drink, giggling at the moans from the others. "He asked first!"

"You gotta tell us where you found her, Ed," Steve asked, finally tearing himself away. "And why didn't I meet her first?"

* * *

"She found me, actually, at The Life."

Steve looked depressed. "I'm there everyday." Life was not fair.

"What do you do?" asked Jackson from across the table. He wasn't eager enough to run to her side, but he was still interested.

"Assuming you do _work_," David added. He crossed his arms.

* * *

Assuming she did work...? She worked. Sort of. "I'm a dancer," she replied. If she could see into David's head and knew how he felt about her, she probably would have picked a better word. One that didn't suggest so many things. "Well, performer," she corrected herself slightly. If the boys' interests weren't peaked before, they certainly were now.

* * *

David was aware of Ed's above average financial status. It wouldn't be the first time that had attracted someone to the man. But Ed thought he should know that Cha-Cha was not in it for money by now. He'd told them what happened with Bunny. She wasn't with Ed so he'd support her. That would have driven her off. He shot him a 'Watch it' look.

A few eyebrows shot up at dancer. Looks to Ed like 'Seriously? Man we're jealous!' Ed glared 'Not that kind' at them when Cha-Cha wasn't looking.

* * *

Cha-Cha noticed the eyebrows. "A clothed dancer!! I dance clothed," she corrected herself quickly. A few disappointed grumbles came out, the faces dropping. Okay, so Ed's friends were a little perverted. So was he. So was she, for that matter. So it was okay. "At a drag show...Busty Rusty?"

A few of the men seemed to have heard of it. Tom rose an eyebrow. "Wasn't there some dancer there...she won Miss Flawless a couple times," a few approving mumbles. "She was hot."

"Hi," Cha-Cha grinned, absolutely tickled by this point. And they knew her title? Good lord these men were perfect.

* * *

"Oh no, don't get her started."

"What? You?!" Tom hadn't recognized her without the wig she'd worn.

"Ed! You have to tell us these things!" cried Steve.

Tom nodded vigorously. "Yeah, what are _you_ doing with Miss Flawless? One of us would be much better suited! We're more fun!" Ed laughed and rolled his eyes. Yes yes, boring detective. He continued his conversation with Vaughn.

Mark crossed his arms, looking like a clone of David. "I haven't heard of it," he said. "I don't follow drag shows. But that sounds impressive." Monotone.

* * *

"You know Tom, I'm starting to think you're right," Cha-Cha joked, hoping she remembered his name right. She winked at Ed, to let him know she was just playing around. If it weren't for Ed though, she thought she'd probably go for Tom. What, he was cute! If there was no Ed. Only if. "It's okay hun, Ed didn't recognize me either."

((*is totally picturing Tom as Collins* XD))

* * *

((*is totally thinking you're right*))

Ed glared at her, but all in good fun. Tom jokingly put his arm around her shoulders before sticking his tongue out at Ed. "Mature." His friend snickered and let go. "I take you to Virginia Beach, he buys you one drink. I can see how I would fall short."

"Hey, whoa! I didn't get Virginia Beach!" Jackson wasn't really insulted, but he looked questioningly to Ed. "What gives?"

He didn't know what to say. He forgot he had an ex at the table. Though still a good friend, he tried not to talk about current lovers around him. "Well...Dad called and-"

Mark forgot he was being difficult long enough to interrupt with, "No parent talk tonight!"

* * *

Cha-Cha wasn't sitting beside Ed, but he was close enough that she could touch his foot with hers under the table. "Listen to your friend, baby," she suggested. He got too tense when talking about his father. Too depressed. She wanted him to be relaxed with them, and to have a good time. She was having one. She hadn't yet made the connetion that Jackson was Ed's ex. "Thank you, Marky," she added to the blonde.

((*is really picturing Mark as , too *))

* * *

Mark remembered himself and looked to someone else. Cha-Cha was informed that 'Tommy' and 'Stevie' were acceptable names.

Ed was still looking at Jackson. The two exchanged a few looks. Ed shrugged apologetically. Nothing he could do about it now, right? Brent sensed the awkward silence coming and smoothly asked Jackson if he'd dance.

"Cha-Cha, do you want to?" he asked, wanting to before someone else did. They'd never gone out dancing before, was it so wrong to want to be the first of the group to be with her?

* * *

Cha-Cha beamed. "I was hoping you'd ask sometime," she admitted. Promising Tommy and Stevie their turns would come soon too, she pushed her chair out. A fast paced song was playing, and she couldn't help but wonder if Ed Green would be a good dancer. He didn't seem like the type who would be, but he always seemed to be surprising her.

* * *

Another good surprise. Ed Green _could_ dance. And very well. He chose a spot on the floor a good distance from his ex. "So, you seem to be enjoying yourself," he said with a smile over the music. He had known at least a few would fall over themselves to talk to her. The others, well, could be worse. Could have been a Grace.

* * *

"I love your friends!" Cha-Cha gushed. She kept close to him, but let him lead them as well as you could lead with club dancing. He seemed to know what he was doing, surprisingly. Pleasantly surprisingly. "And y'know, I think they like me," she added. She could barely breath, they were getting so close.

* * *

Ed kept his hands on her at all times. Particularly her hips. Wordlessly saying 'Mine'. "It's obvious Steve and Tom love you," he laughed. Seen that coming. Group charmer and group flirt. "Brent and Jackson are probably tied for second." David and Mark...they'd work on them after the dance. Maybe.

* * *

"Don't get jealous, now," Cha-Cha teased. She kept very close to him, closer than most people would be. But they were together, they were allowed. "What's the deal with Jackson?" she had to ask. She'd noticed the quiet moments between him and Ed.

* * *

"He and I dated a few years ago." Ended on friendly terms, but...it wasn't really the same. Never date good friends. Ed had said that they seemed more like friends than lovers. Jackson had agreed, but not convincingly.

* * *

"Oh," Cha-Cha hadn't realized he'd dated any of the men. How were they still friends? That seemed like an impossible feat to her. "Is he gonna get jealous?" she had her hands on Ed's shoulders, and brought them down a bit. "How long did you two date for?" if he said over a year, she was gonna feel a little threatened.

* * *

"No, he's fine," Ed assumed. "And we didn't see each other that long. Three months, maybe. It just seemed more like friends hanging out." With sex still involved....But still. No deep feelings. On Ed's side for sure. He could only assume Jackson honestly agreed.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, understanding. Sort of. She didn't have any male friends that she would ever sleep with. That was the problem, if the possibility was there, one way or another she would end up sleeping with them. Boom, ruined friendship. "So out of curiosity, is Jackson the one you don't like?"

* * *

"No, it's-" ah, wait. "I'm not telling you." Narrowed it down to six though.

"Hey Ed, switch partners?" Steve and Tom were between them in seconds. Ed had no idea how Tom had ended up in his arms. Hadn't Cha-Cha been pressed up against him? The two were magical it seemed, it also wasn't unusual for the two to be partners in crime, and off danced a triumphant Steve.

* * *

Cha-Cha wanted to feel bad for her lover. But...it was just hard when the situation was so funny, and when so many people were vying to dance with her. There was nothing unsavoury about that. She kept close to Steve, though not as close as she'd been to Ed. "So how did you meet Ed?" she asked to make conversation.

* * *

"College. It's how most of us met each other. 'Cept he and Vaughn. High school sweethearts." He laughed and added, "Completely joking. Vaughn's straight."

Ed was fine with Tom, he'd wanted to catch up anyway. After each updated the other on their lives they watched Steve and Cha-Cha, both amused. "Should we have put the two flirts together?" he asked.

"What, you worried Steve will go after her?"

Ed shook his head, laughing a little. "No I'm more worried she'll go after Steve." His friend did a double take, and he just chuckled and said "Just kidding."

* * *

"Aw, Vaughn's straight? He's the cute one though!" Cha-Cha giggled, shaking her head. "Just kidding hun, you're adorable too," she assured the disappointed Steve. Not that it would matter anyway. But it didn't hurt that her boyfriend's friends were all amazing themselves. Date-worthy, even. Though she wouldn't date them.

"How long do you think we have before I lose you?" Steve asked with a grin, eyeing Tom.

* * *

"Yeah. Can't tell, can you? We all forget until his wife shows up." He grinned at 'adorable'. While Ed insisted that detectives like himself weren't 'cute' or 'adorable', Steve was an accountant. And they were allowed to be adorable, in his opinion.

Tom meant to just say one last thing to Ed before heading over, but it reminded him of something else, that lead to another...and Brent drifted away from Jackson to Cha-Cha. Hey, every man for himself. Tom threw his hands in the air annoyed when he realized his turn was stolen, and he went to join David at the table. He'd work on the irritable friend before the couple even had time.

Ed looked at Jackson. Normally being together wasn't awkward, but then normally he didn't have a date with him. "Do you wanna join them at the table or stay and dance."

"I'm thirsty, so...table..." They walked off together to sit with the rest.

* * *

Cha-Cha was quickly danced away by Brent, laughing again. She liked Brent, too. Part of her was still wondering which one to look out for, though. She really hoped it wasn't Steve. Steve was a sweetheart. So was Tom, who finally got his turn after a couple rounds. So was Brent. Maybe...Mark? He seemed sort of jerk-ish. So did David, who'd barely said two words. Finally the dance with Tom was up, the two of them returning to the table.

* * *

Ed was in the middle of retelling one of his most dangerous cases. Although, in his friend's opinions, it was considered one of the coolest. "Lennie and I are behind the car trying to figure out where the shots are coming from...." Ended with no one hurt, but their car filled with holes.

"Another squad car bites the dust!" laughed one of them.

Ed hardly discussed anything involving his life being in jeopardy with Cha-Cha. She'd worry. The guys though would joke and wish they could have been there to see it.

* * *

Cha-Cha only heard the last bit of the story. 'Another squad car bites the dust'? More men had sat down, so she took her spot in Ed's lap."What are we talking about?" she asked, kissing his cheek quickly. Oh, disappointed faces, really. She was dating him, she had to spend at least some of the evening with him.

* * *

Ed smirked. Ha. Finally acting like she was his. As for her question, he forgot about censoring his stories for a moment and summed it up. It wasn't the long and exaggerated version, but the gun fight stayed in. His friends shook their heads, still entertained by the story. "You have all the fun," complained Steve. "I catch accounting mistakes, you catch murderers."

"Caught," Ed reminded him. "Not anymore." It sounded like a great time if you weren't the one being shot at.

* * *

Cha-Cha wasn't quite as impressed. It wasn't a threat anymore, she knew, but it was still a little to hear about her lover participating in a gunfight. "Sounds dangerous," she responded softly, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"Oh, it would be," Tom responded excitingly, quite taken with the idea. He didn't note how uncomfortable it made Cha-Cha. Typical man. "I wouldn't mind trading some of my students for that sort of life."

* * *

"Aww," cooed a few of them jokingly at her worried tone. Ed resisted the urge to roll his eyes at them, afraid it'd insult her. He settled for sighing and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Ignoring Tom's comment Mark raised an eyebrow. "Just realizing that now?"

"_Hey_," Ed warned.

* * *

"No!" Cha-Cha replied defensively. "But no matter when I realized it, it doesn't stop being dangerous." Good save. To be fair she had sort of realized it was dangerous...she just didn't really make the connection that death was a risk. Not till she found the scar, anyway.

"Detective work isn't easy, honey," David reminded her, with an undertone of nastiness. "It's not dancing or anything."

* * *

"Watch it," Ed said, trying to keep his voice neutral and not angry. Didn't want to get into a fight over this, and especially not his second night back with them all. He'd seen attitude from David coming. But if he was annoyed Cha-Cha was taking up too much time, upsetting the two of them wasn't the way to get Ed back.

* * *

Cha-Cha frowned, really not liking that tone on David. Yeah, she had a job that was alot easier. Alot less risky. Did that somehow put her below Ed? "Don't worry, hun, I know about danger. I'm a drag queen. Can't say I know much about gun fights, but I'm not free and easy either. Walking down the street at night, are you kidding me?" Much like the gun fights, it was something she didn't like to tell Ed. But they seemed to think she'd never faced a day's trauma, which wasn't really true.

* * *

"Not to mention some of the men in your audiences." It was a wonder Ed let her go. And he hadn't even heard the details. One of the reasons he'd never gone to her club, even with all the free time he had now, was that he didn't want to know what the crowd did. He'd enjoy her dancing just fine, not so much some of the reactions to it.

* * *

Ed wouldn't like it. Some men got too drunk, got too close. Some men didn't need to be drunk to be abusive. "Poor thing," Mark commented, and it was hard to tell if he was patrionizing her or not. Most likely, but he tried to hide it.

* * *

"Speaking of dancing though, do you want to again, I didn't get a very long turn with you." He was asking her, but still eying David warily. Some of the others were looking at him and Mark curiously too.

"I didn't at all," commented Vaughn.

"Yeah, but, you're straight."

"So I get left out?"

Ed laughed. "Maybe after. If I'm getting a chance now, that is."

* * *

"I'd love to, baby," Cha-Cha nodded, getting up off his lap. It was funny, before she felt great around his friends. Now she had the distinct feeling she was unwanted. Maybe that was just how his friends were? She'd have to ask him when they were alone together.

* * *

Ed held her tightly, safely away from the rest. Well, Jackson grabbed Vaughn to dance as a joke, but they were quite a good distance away too. It didn't last long before the straight one laughed and walked back to the table. "Think you could give Vaughn a minute or two later? He's been dying to meet you but for some reason is shy tonight." He'd expected him to latch on faster than Steve.

* * *

"Sure," Cha-Cha beamed. She liked Vaughn so far. She had no reason to dislike Vaughn. But, some of his other friends... "I think I'm starting to figure out which ones you don't like," she admitted with a frown. She kept even closer to him, showing off a little, reminding them who Ed was in love with.

* * *

"David and Mark? They'll be fine after awhile." Ed kissed her quickly. "Focus on the rest." The group had gotten a little quiet, unsure what to do when David and Mark started on Cha-Cha. Side with the cute drag queen, their friend, or just watch? Watching seemed good. "I'm sorry about those two," he added.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, kissing him a bit deeper than he'd kissed her, but keeping it friend-friendly. Maybe trying to keep them aware a little, that he loved her and all, but nothing crazy. "The rest of them are amazing," she assured him. "I love Steve, Tom, Brent..."

* * *

"Good. Not too overwhelming, with the seven of them? I thought we'd start slow, but _someone_ mentioned you'd be here." Ed glanced over her shoulder to the table. He grinned. David had Steve and Tom on either side, both talking quickly, brows furrowed and looking determined. "Your fan club is already starting in on David."

* * *

"What's his problem?" Cha-Cha asked with a sigh, shaking her head. What did she ever do to him? She was making his friend happy, you'd think that would be a point in her favour. "I can't figure out why he doesn't like me. Did I say something to offend him?" she couldn't think of what that would be, but...

* * *

"No, you didn't do anything. Like I said on the way here, he's been acting weird lately. Annoyed that I spend every second with you. Or at least that's what he hinted at. If I get back into the habit of seeing them weekly maybe he'll be himself again." He thought for anything else it might be. "I'm the only one who's dated a drag queen," he admitted. "Maybe he's not used to...having a girl around."

* * *

"But I'm barely..." Cha-Cha shrugged. Yes, she saw herself as a girl, and she acted like one. But she was used to people seeing her as a male. Even though Ed didn't. "You think that's what it is?"

* * *

"I think it's more the first issue than that, actually," Ed said. Even if it weren't, that's what he was going to insist. They were all told if they were going to have an issue to back off. If they didn't like it, wait to hang out with him when he was solo.

* * *

Cha-Cha didn't see how that was her fault. It wasn't like she made him spend all his time with her. Not that she minded it, either...but if he wanted to spend time with David, he would have. "What, does he think I'm forcing you not to see them or something?" she asked with a frown. She saw her friends enough times over the week, it wouldn't make sense for her to try to...ban him from seeing his.

* * *

"I don't know what's going on. Maybe he doesn't like your shoes. It could be anything. He could be mad at me for something I haven't figured out yet and be taking it out on you. Just don't let him ruin the evening."

Vaughn tapped Ed's shoulder. "My turn?" Ed didn't feel like talking to Mark and David, and the only one currently away from the table was Jackson. Well...sure. He'd go with that. He kissed Cha-Cha on the cheek and left her with his best friend.

* * *

**Cha-Cha's POV:: **Vaughn was cute, she had to admit that much. "This is the first time I ever danced with a straight guy," she admitted with a giggle, putting her hands on his shoulders. Pause. "Well, the second time, but that first guy wasn't that straight. He said he was, but..." Cha-Cha had her doubts.

* * *

"This is the first time in a while I've danced with a woman who wasn't my wife." Vaughn told himself to act like he was dancing with his wife. He never lasted long when one of the men grabbed him for a song, but he could do this. "So are we what you expected?" he asked.

**Ed's POV::** Ed had planned on dancing _near_ Jackson, but arms looped around him. Loosely, thank goodness. "What do you think of Cha-Cha?" he asked quickly. An obvious reminded he was taken, and when Jackson looked insulted he regretted it. They'd never been weird before, why start now? "Honestly, I want your opinion."

* * *

**Cha-Cha's POV:: **"You're a little better to be honest. Most of you," Cha-Cha added. Save for one or two. But like Ed said, they'd get used to her, right? It was just one of those things. "Does it get weird around so many gay guys?" she had to know. He was the first straight men she'd met who was friends primarily with gay men. Usually they seemed to stick with their own kind.

* * *

"Not really. I look at them and see friends, not just gay guys. I forget they are, they forget I'm not. Unless, you know, we come somewhere like here and I'm stuck at the table." His wife never came, so he'd sit solo, or they'd take turns talking with him. "But Ed can pull off straight easily, so it's just like any other friendship, I'd assume. No weirdness."

**Ed's POV::** "Did David or Mark say anything while she and I were dancing?" Ed said, after his friend assured him Cha-Cha seemed great so far.

"Yeah," Jackson answered. "But don't worry about it."

* * *

**Cha-Cha's POV::** "That's true. I'm not used to being around gay guys who arent..." Cha-Cha paused, thinking of a word. "Beyond flaming. I thought Ed was straight before he started hitting on me and asked me out and everything," she grinned. Very plesant surprise. "Guys like Ed are usually like....Gay Republicans. But really, who cares about Gay Republicans?" she giggled.

* * *

"It's hard to believe there's such a thing. Seems like they're voting against themselves..." Baffled him, but whatever floats your boat. "I thought Ed said you found him in the Life?" Did Ed hit on her first? "Doesn't seem like him to come up to you. During lunch, anyway."

* * *

"Well no, I invited him to have lunch with me. But he flirted back, and he asked me out," Cha-Cha giggled. She didn't know if that was characteristic of Ed or not. "In fact, come to think of it, he's made most of the moves between us. First kiss was his....first 'I love you'..." she thought back.

* * *

"That I can see. But I just can't imagine him sitting with you knowing Lennie could have shown up for lunch. Ed really risked it there. And for a complete stranger? What was he thinking? No offense," he hurried to add. "Obviously it ended up being a _great_ decision."

* * *

**Ed's POV:: **"No what'd they say?" Ed insisted.

His friend glanced at the two. "They're not thrilled with her. _Why_ wasn't reallyt both of them...you know how they are. They don't need a reason to hate someone they-"

"_Hate_?"

"No, they didn't say that, I just meant they don't need a reason to _dislike_ someone."

"Mhmm..."

* * *

**Cha-Cha's POV::** "Obviously," Cha-Cha agreed with a laugh. Not many people could deny that. Well, not many unbiased people. She thought about what to say, looking for conversation topics? "Oh, Ed said you had a daughter?" she hoped Vaughn wasn't the type who'd pull fifty pictures out of his wallet. She couldn't stand those people.

* * *

"I do," he nodded. "Nadia." He actually didn't even have a wallet on him, so no overload of pictures. "She's almost eight. Ed's great with her. I gotta drag them away from each other or they'd play twenty four seven."

* * *

"Does Ed like kids?" Cha-Cha asked with a grin. That was pretty cute. And hey, she liked kids too. Kids that weren't hers. Not that she'd ever met any kids that were hers, but...she'd be an awful parent.

* * *

"Well I've only seen him with Nadia. Going off that I'd have to say yes. He sat through the Teletubbies, Barney, and Rugrats phases. If that's not love, I don't know what is. Thank god she's finally old enough for Disney and Cartoon Network." The song ended and a slower one began. "Can I get one more?" he asked hopefully.

**Ed's POV::** Ed automatically returned Jackson's embrace now. It's just what you did for slow songs. He'd changed the topic off David but still felt apprehensive.

* * *

**Cha-Cha's POV::** "Wow. Yeah, he does like kids," Cha-Cha shook her head. She drew the line at Barney. There was something creepy about that purple dinosaur. Got just a little too close to the kiddies, if you caight her drift. And did anyone notice how the kids change every few years? Where were they going, hmm? Where was Barney keeping them? All she knew was, she would not want to cross that purple dinosaur when he was hungry.

Cha-Cha looked back towards her man. "Apparently so," she admitted with a soft smile. After a few moments she asked, "So what's with Ed and Jackson? I mean...I know they were together. That is over now though, right?" she was just making sure.

* * *

"Absolutely. Ed said it was too weird dating a close friend. He ended it early to avoid a breakup that would ruin the friendship. I can see why it might seem like a good idea, 'cause you like each other and have a lot in common and all, but... They shouldn't have tried it, in my opinion." For situations like these. "Sorry, anyway, Ed just considers him a friend. I assume Jack feels the same way." Vaughn didn't get detailed stories from the others like with Ed.

* * *

"Okay," Cha-Cha nodded. She put it out of her mind, though admittedly stoled glances at them every so often. She hoped another slow song would come on. She'd never slow danced with Ed before. "So have you known Ed the longest? College, right?"

* * *

"High school," he corrected. They went way back. "So yes I have. Which reminds me, I heard you talked to Lennie about him. My dear," Vaughn said as he twirled her into a dip, grinning. "_I_ am the one to come to. I've held best friend confident status for over twenty years." That was double Lennie plus a little.

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled as he dipped her, arms around his neck. She liked dancing with a straight guy. Could get as close as possible without all that tension. "So you're better than Lennie?" she teased. "I like him, though. He's crusty and cranky. Just my type," she laughed. "So...you knew about this Starr thing?" she guessed.

* * *

"Yeah. Ed needed someone to rant to and he couldn't go to Lennie. Didn't take any of my advice, _not surprising_. But he wasn't looking for help, just someone to explain his side to. I'm glad that's finally over, he was scared to death you'd leave. He hated lying to you. Or hiding something from you, I don't think he lied..." Vaughn had gotten lost halfway through the story.

* * *

Cha-Cha wanted to say that she almost did, but she knew that would be a lie. "It would be hard to leave him," she admitted. Even then she loved him too much to say goodbye. "Even though he gave me enough reason." Sigh. "But that's over and done with. We're better than we ever were," she beamed.

* * *

He nodded. "I believe it." A few moments passed quietly. "So I know everything there is to know about him. Can I know something about you?" He didn't care if it was her first love or just her shoe size. Anything was acceptable.

* * *

**Ed's POV:: **Ed had been away from her only ten minutes and wanted her back again. It wasn't the same dancing with a friend. But he also wanted to give Vaughn a chance to bond with her, so he traded Jackson for Steve for a change of pace and stayed put.

* * *

**Cha-Cha POV::** "Well, I dance. And sing. Three times Miss Flawless winner, natural blonde..." she wondered if he'd question that. Well, why shouldn't it be true? "Um...what else do you want to know?"

* * *

Vaughn smirked but didn't question her hair color. "Whatever you feel okay with me knowing. If that's it, that's fine." He could always get more out of Ed. "I'm glad you finally came to one of these. The fact Ed is letting us all dance with you is really surprising."

* * *

**Ed's POV::** "Eddie, please, please tell me she has friends." Steve was begging, and Ed couldn't help but laugh. He nodded.

"She does, but they aren't exactly like her. And don't exactly like me."

Steve pouted pathetically. "You ruin everything."

"I know," Ed said.

* * *

**Cha-Cha's POV::** Cha-Cha nodded, "I'm glad I came." Thinking, she continued. "I'm in my early to mid twenties. Been with Ed for almost a year, but you knew that. Err...smoke and drink sometimes, hate science fiction..." she could think of lots more to tell him, but wasn't sure what was most important.

* * *

He nodded. That was good for now. He'd have to think of a more specific question later. Just wondered what would come off the top of her head. Vaughn checked his watch. He'd had her for a while. Yes, fifteen minutes was a while for Ed. Was he busy or was he actually letting them have her for the night? It was so unlike him.

* * *

**Ed's POV:: **"What did you do?" Steve asked.

"The Bunny thing."

His friend rolled his eyes. "That's it? I could handle getting around that." As Steve plotted a way to present himself as Ed's friend without getting tied up in the Bunny drama, Ed wondered if he'd accidentally started a drag queen craze among his friends. Cha-Cha was amazing, yes, but seriously...this was weird.

* * *

**Cha-Cha's POV::** Cha-Cha tried not to laugh as Vaughn checked his watch. She was wondering where her man had gotten to as well, but really. "Getting bored already, are we?" she teased. Hey, she wouldn't mind to get Ed back. Vaughn was sweet though, and she wouldn't mind if he took a bit longer.

* * *

"Oh, no, sorry," he said, realizing it looked that way. "This is just a new record time for Ed to be away from whoever he came with. Only with me, too. Add in your time with the others and it's really something." Vaughn would only give her up if someone asked to cut in. Otherwise, he was content where he was. This was also the longest he'd lasted on the dance floor. Two records in one night.

* * *

"Really?" Cha-Cha asked, her forehead creasing slightly. So he could bear to be away from her when he couldn't others? Or...did he just trust her more? Or had he just stopped paying attention? Cha-Cha told herself not to read too much into it. "Well who cares about him anyway. I've got Vaughn," she laughed.

* * *

Vaughn thought he might have made a mistake saying that. "I'm glad I'm a good substitute, but do you want me to elaborate?" He didn't mean to imply Ed would rather dance with someone else. Or just leave her, uninterested. It actually was a good thing, in a weird way, because yes it did mean he trusted her.

* * *

"On what, him letting me dance with you?" Cha-Cha asked. "As long as it doesn't mean I've bored him already, I'm happy," she smiled softly. Somehow she doubted that was the case. She wasn't a very boring person.

* * *

Vaughn decided to continue anyway. Didn't have anything else to talk about. "You aren't boring him," he assured her. "What I meant by it being surprising is that normally he won't let go for more than five minutes. I don't mean to imply he's possessive or anything, it's just he's been dumped for a friend one too many times." He twirled her. "Not that any of us would date the jerk who left him, so he ends up alone, but so does Ed. Well, _they _wouldn't. I say 'us' but I'm not really included in that area." But still, the fact Ed let her go with anyone who asked showed he'd lightened up.

* * *

As cute as Ed's friends were, it wouldn't happen. She already had who she wanted. "He must trust me more," she though out loud, smiling softly. Well that was a good sign.

* * *

"Absolutely." Vaughn had her until the rest of the song. Brent wanted a second turn, but Ed interupted and insisted he get her for a while.

Ed happily linked his arms around her. "So I'm guessing that if you didn't run away after three songs, you got along with Vaugn alright?"

* * *

"He's great," Cha-Cha answered honestly, her arms around his neck. "Though I feel like I've barely seen you all night. Not that I'm complaining of course," she winked. What was to complain about? He had cute friends who liked her, and he trusted her with them. He got her everyday, they could share.

* * *

Ed kissed her forehead. "I didn't think you would." Although since he wasn't getting showered with attention like her, he was getting a little bored without her. He'd be with her for a while. "You need a rest soon?"

* * *

"In a bit." Cha-Cha leaned up to kiss him properly, the way she'd wanted to all night. She didn't care too awfully much who was watching. His friends would need to get used to it. It didn't look like things were going to change too much too fast between them.

* * *

Ed returned it enthusiastically. Showing off in front of strangers was one thing. Friends, so much sweeter. He tightened his hold of her waist as he leaned back to see her. "Do I get to sit with you if we go to the table? Because if not, we're dancing for another hour."

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, pressing her forehead against his gently. "You can have both if you want," she offered as a slower dance came on. "Y'know, Vaughn dipped me. That was pretty...gentlemanly. Can you beat that?" she teased. Or at least match it.

* * *

"If you ask for it, it's not the same," he said. No element of surprise. But he would have to think of something, definitely. Even if it was just repeating it. Couldn't be left one upped by the best friend.

* * *

"I guess," Cha-Cha giggled, leaning in close to him. She tried not to laugh as she noticed Tom and Steve over his shoulder, getting ready to pounce. "You've got competition," she whispered in his ear with a smirk, resting her head on his shoulder.

* * *

Ed turned his head to see them. Oh brother. He just got her back. Did they have to move in already? Might as well start scheduling turns at this rate. And he was still trying to think of something to be Vaughn! He linked his fingers together and held her close. She was not getting pried away again.

* * *

"Hey Ed, mind if I cut in..." Steve started towards them with big eyes. It was very hard for Cha-Cha to let him down.

"Can I get you on the next song? It's just I haven't slow danced with Ed before and I wanna make sure he doesn't suck," she laughed, hoping that would be enough.

* * *

"Yeah but." Tom couldn't think of a reason he deserved her quickly.

"But?" Ed asked. Nothing. "I want time with her too," he laughed.

"You're going home with her, we aren't!" Tom smiled. An idea! "Can we go with you guys?"

Ed rolled his eyes. "_No._"

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, shaking her head. "I just need a little more time with Ed. Then you, okay?" she asked. She sort of liked having so many admirers. She needed a dance card or something. Keep it straight without any moans, keep things in an orderly fashion.

* * *

Sort of? He knew she loved it. As the two men walked away, backwards so they could see the moment she stepped away, Ed sighed. "It's like talking to children," he sighed. Well, Ed _was_ older... But seriously, like trying to negotiate with a needy kid.

* * *

"Yeah, but I like these children," Cha-Cha admitted with a laugh. She kept her head against his shoulder, turning it to kiss the skin on his neck a few times. "...do you think they would mind if I stayed with you for the next dance too?" she asked softly. Yeah, she knew they would. But as fun as it was dancing with them, it was twice as good with Ed. She felt more comfortable with him, could get alot closer.

* * *

"They probably won't even notice. And I'd like you to." They were watched by jealous eyes until Brent distracted the group by declaring a drinking contest. Just what Ed needed. A bunch of drunk friends trying to steal her. He smiled anyway. Gotta love'em.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, kissing him again softly. "Drinking contests? Are these often with your friends?" she asked with a laugh. Vaugely she wondered what sort of drunk he'd be. If he even let himself get drunk. Hey, somebody had to drive.

* * *

"Occasionally. Not every week. Just looking for something to do until I give you back to them, I guess. But now you might be stuck with me." If his friends wanted to make a good impression, saying something stupid while drunk might not be the way to go. The two of them would be amused, but his friends would be embarrassed whenever they were told what had happened. Ed would try to help them out by making sure they weren't too far gone before letting them dance with her again.

It was almost like Ed was a kid with a shiny new toy. All the other kids wanted a chance to play with it, and the more he insisted "It's mine, I had it first!" the more they others would cry. Not that he considered her a toy or 'it' or anything. Not even something like a drag equivalent to a trophy wife. But he did have to argue to dance with her.

* * *

"What a tragedy," Cha-Cha teased, her arms moving around his waist so she could get even tighter against him. Her head went back on his shoulder both to watch the men drink, and to feel closer. "Haven't they ever seen a pretty girl before? I mean, didn't they flock around Starr when you dated her? Or was she before their time?"

* * *

Cha-Cha bringing up Starr? Finally it wasn't him! "That was almost ten years ago. It's new again. Besides, don't you like being the center of attention?" She hadn't stopped smiling all evening.

* * *

"I do," Cha-Cha assured him. Like it was any big secret. "But I like dancing with you sometimes too. There's a reason I'm dating you and not them," she pointed out. Not that she didn't like dancing with all Ed's friends, she did. But she missed him when she kept getting pulled away.

* * *

Ed watched as the guys continued their game. "We're walking home if you want to join them," he said. Though she wouldn't be driving _anyway_. He'd never seen what too much alcohol did to her.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed shrugging. "Maybe in a couple minutes. They're distracted now, better make the most of it," she kissed his jaw, closing her eyes. "You're a good dancer," she added.

* * *

"Thank you. You're not bad yourself." Ed wanted to sit, but also didn't want to risk Cha-Cha being dragged off. He also wasn't sure if he'd get away with only one drink right now. Probably have five thrown at him if he joined the table.

* * *

"Well I'd hope not," Cha-Cha laughed. It would be like him...being bad at chasing people. "Did you just pick it up here?" she couldn't imagine Ed had ever taken dance classes. Too girly. Though it would be funny to see him in the leotard.

* * *

"Yeah. Here and other spots. Wherever the group ends up." They changed locations every now and then. Whenever the men at the club started getting too familiar. Too been there danced that.

* * *

Cha-Cha understood. "Well, it doesnt really matter anymore, hmm? You've got somebody to dance with everywhere," she giggled, twirling herself in his arms. "Or will I become old news too?" she added, and laughed because she knew she wouldn't.

* * *

"You're always doing something surprising." She could never get old. Except maybe in the whining department. What, who said that?

"Ed!" Brent called, waving as he did so. "Stop hogging her! Come back over here!"

"I can't hear you!" Ed lied, pretending the music was drowning him out.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, pretending as though she wasn't even aware Brent was calling them."Do you need a distraction?" she smirked, leaning up to kiss him slowly. The boys couldn't expect them to be listening now, right? Their minds were in another place.

* * *

Again, amused by his friends pain. No he would not return to them until he was good and ready. "I knew you were good for something."

"You can so hear us!" shouted Tom.

* * *

Cha-Cha slapped his arm playfully. "You're mean," she joked, making no move to get away from him. He was mean, but he made her happy. "I'm sure Tom would appreciate me more. Or Steve, or any of your friends. Maybe I made the wrong choice..." she pretended to consider it.

* * *

"You wouldn't be the first to think that." No he wasn't annoyed, just not entirely happy either. But he smiled like he found it amusing. She was teasing and he knew that. Didn't have to worry about her straying.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, shaking her head. "Good thing I love you too much, hmm?" she reminded him. Even if Steve or Tom or Brent were nicer, she was already spoken for. Besides, it was hard to be nicer than Ed. He just liked to play grumpy. Or at least, she was pretty sure he was playing...

* * *

"Mhmm." He kissed her briefly again.

Personally, Ed thought being followed around twenty-four seven would get insanely annoying after a while. And he doubted they'd be so fascinated after a month. And they'd be less interesting too. The new would wear off and they old would shine through.

Besides, one of the other men would have been able to take her out freely in public from the start. Ed hadn't. Therefore Ed had felt more obligated to provide more romantic surprises and gifts. Beat that.

* * *

Cha-Cha had no problem with the romantic surprises or gifts. None whatsoever. "How many more drinks do you think they need before they leave us alone?" she asked, looking over. He knew his friends better, and had probably seen them drunk before. Cha-Cha couldn't handle her liquor that well, and was gone after two or three. Some people she knew could go on forever.

* * *

"Well, actually, unless I firmly tell them to back off, I don't think leaving us alone is what's going to happen." But in his friends interests, he'd stop them from making fools of themselves. Or he'd try.

* * *

Cha-Cha rose her eyebrows. "What do you think is going to happen?" People could be goofy when drunk. And mean sometimes, and suggestive. Everybody was different. She'd never had a flock of drunk men going after her--well. Unless you counted the shows, but that was different somehow.

* * *

"They'll double their efforts. Nothing to worry about. But by the end of the night at least one will swear he's in love with you, I guarantee it." He found it quite funny. The poor guys.

* * *

Cha-Cha rose her eyebrows, shaking her head. "They are like me then!" She'd been known to do the same thing once or twice when she had one too many. Only, it was usually to whoever she was dating at the moment. And once or twice the guy returned it, leading to one big awkward in the morning.

* * *

"You mean that's all I had to do to get you to say it? So much time could have been saved," he teased. Although he kind of liked how it ended up happening. Not the best circumstance, but more honest than a drunk confession.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed shrugging. "How much time?" It had come at such a stressed moment between them, but was also completely unexpected. It made her wonder how long he'd been holding it in. How long he'd knew. She hadn't known that long, but she was pretty sure she loved him before he even realized, too.

* * *

"A while," he said. It was in the past, but he wasn't sure if past moving too fast counted for scaring her. Not much she could do now though, right? Yes yes he wasn't supposed to focus on that. But he wasn't worried she'd cheat, just worried she'd feel uncomfortable. "You know I have been wrapped around your finger since the first time we went out."

* * *

Cha-Cha smirked, not the least bit uncomfortable. In fact, it made her happy beyond anything else. "I hadn't noticed," she mumbled, keeping even closer to him. Good luck, boys, getting her away from him now. She was even more determined to stay in his arms.

* * *

"Good, you weren't supposed to." She would have definitely taken advantage of that, more than she already did. Worse than using her legs to get what she wanted. He wouldn't have had any free will!

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, her cheek against his as they danced. "I think I figured it out when we watched You've Got Mail, that night? And you slept over at my place and weren't mad at all. Some guys might've been pissed," she laughed. "But you seemed to enjoy getting a crick in your neck and being stiff all day."

* * *

"It might have been worth it." He smiled shyly out of view. So he fell easily. Don't rub it in.

* * *

Cha-Cha closed her eyes, another smile appearing on her face. "I love you, Ed," she mumbled. Yeah, his friends could stay back for awhile. Just for a few minutes more. She felt too comfortable to let go of him.

* * *

"Love you too, hun." Ed fell hard and fast. That's just how he was. He didn't do it for everyone he dated of course, you can't find love every single time you go out. But when he did sometimes he tended to be a little too intense for lovers.

* * *

Cha-Cha hummed softly to the music, letting herself sway against him. If she didn't love him as early as their second date, it wasn't long after. And she certainly did now. "When did ou tell your friends about me?" she asked out of curiosuty. She'd held back bit with her girls, in case of a negative reaction. Smart move.

* * *

"Not all at once. I told Lennie the afternoon I met you. Vaughn not long after. The rest of them whenever I had time. I was busy trying to see you. Even though it didn't really seem like I saw you that often in the beginning, it was the best I could do." Work, sleep, Cha-Cha. Boys got time only if she wasn't home.

* * *

"You told Lennie first?" Cha-Cha asked, confused. Obviously not all the details, right? "I know. It wasn't nearly enough," she assured him, "but I know it was the best you could do. Hey, I did see you...every four or five days," she laughed softly. Impossible to conceive now.

* * *

"Well...Lennie only got 'I met a girl at the Life this afternoon' and a few other things. But that sort of counts." Drag queen definitely wasn't mentioned.

Almost a week between dates. "Let's not go back to that."

* * *

Cha-Cha grinned, bringing her hand up to her head. "A 'this tall' hispanic named Cha-Cha? She's funny, she's beautiful?" she teased, remembering the things she'd overheard from Lennie. That day wasn't all bad. "Let's not. Believe it or not, but I sort of like seeing you every day," she admitted.

* * *

"So I exaggerated," Ed said jokingly. "Sue me." In all seriousness though, that description was drastically understating it. "And I could probably do every other day. So, you know, you don't get boring or anything."

* * *

Cha-Cha rolled her eyes, laughing. "Yeah, yeah. Ed doesn't love me. That joke was never funny, babe. You don't fool me," she leaned back in his arms, getting a good look at him. "Nope. You love me. No question."

* * *

He nodded. "You got me." Ignoring a shout or two from the distant table he looked right back at her. "Not exactly new news," Ed smiled.

* * *

"No, I suppose not," Cha-Cha preteded not to hear the other boys. Not yet, she wasn't ready to break away from him yet. Just a little longer. "It's an oldie but a goodie."

* * *

He nodded as a new song began. "One more than go sit for a bit?" Ed suggested. He could use a drink. He just hoped the guys weren't too far gone.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, nodding. "Okay. But can we dance again before we leave? Or at least come back sometime?" she pleaded. Now that she knew he could dance, they'd have to take advantage of it. She loved dancing, and she was loving dancing with him even more. He made her feel safe.

* * *

"Yes. To both. But maybe just you and me? We can come back next week to see the group if you want, there's still a few you haven't met yet. But one night before that I'd like to have you with no interruptions." As amusing as it was to watch his friends trip over themselves.

* * *

Cha-Cha beamed, keeping even closer to him than before. "I'd like that," she agreed, dancing with him slowly. It was a fast song, but she wanted to keep it slow this time. As silly as they probably looked.

* * *

Ed didn't mind. They were off to the side of the dance floor anyway. When the song ended they returned to the table, his friends perking up and grinning. A little tipsy, but not bad.

* * *

Cha-Cha sat herself in Ed's lap again. There was an empty chair, but it all the way on the other side of the table. She didn't want to sit there.

"Is it my turn yet?" Brent asked loudly.

"I just sat down," Cha-Cha whined, giggling.

* * *

"Yeah, give her a chance to relax," Ed laughed. She'd been on her feet for an hour. Maybe they were fine but she had her heels.

Steve and Tom had done what Ed had predicted, doubled their efforts to charm her. Some compliments were so extravagant they stopped making sense. Ed elbowed Tom a few times, discreetly trying to stop him from carrying on sounding ridiculous.

* * *

Cha-Cha didn't even know you could compare eyes to flowers. She'd go with it...? "Why don't you ever tell me my smile is like a thousand suns?" she teased Ed, trying to remain serious. It was hard to do. Ed's friends were fun drunks!

* * *

There was always one to ruin it. "Because apparently you were easy enough to bed without that shit." Had to be that obnoxious one, huh?

Ed really did not want to argue about her the first time she was there. Way to make her feel welcome. He hoped ignoring him would bore him enough to make him shut up. "Because I haven't found anything that compares to you, sweetheart. A thousand suns doesn't come close." A loud, drunk, "Awww" from the guys followed. Ed didn't care what he sounded like, no one would remember

* * *

Cha-Cha's head snapped toward David, the smile fading a bit. She knew they were all drunk. But what was that supposed to mean...? She wasn't easy! Not...not really _really_ easy... She shifted up a bit closer to Ed. "Thank you, honey," she replied, trying to smile for him. As long as she remembered the guy was drunk and stupid, she could fake it okay.

* * *

Ed kissed her in hopes of cheering her up, missing her mouth for a moment due to the weird angle. Aw well, cheeks need love too, right? He smirked when some of his friends cheered him on, as if he ever would need encouragement.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled against his lips, the hollers from his friends making her feel a bit better. See? Not all of them thought so. Minority opinion, David. David rose a hand at them while Cha-Cha wasn't watching, as though the display proved his point.

* * *

Ed rested his chin on her shoulder, looking across the table at his annoyed friend. "Hey, I had to work hard to get where I am." Wasn't all sunshine and daisies. David scoffed. "I'm sorry, your boyfriend is where?" Ed asked. Normally the guys would have stayed quietly off to the side, but instead there was a chorus of 'Ooo'.

* * *

Cha-Cha would've given Ed a high five if it wouldn't annoy David more. Instead she laughed, biting her lip in an attempt to stop. A half-hearted attempt.

"Good question. Where's yours?" David snapped back.

* * *

Another round of 'Ooo'. That wasn't helping. Ed glared at David. He wasn't sure if acknowledging he technically had a boyfriend on his lap would offend the girl there. "Knock it off," Ed warned.

"That wasn't an answer."

* * *

Somewhere beneath the sparkle and makeup, Cha-Cha was aware, and accepted that she was a boy. "Uh, hi," she put up her hand, waving slightly. "It's more than you got," she added. Not a _boy_ boy or anything, but...Ed didn't seem to mind.

"It's more than I want," David grumbled.

* * *

"More like more than you deserve," Ed mumbled in reply.

David hadn't been able to hear over the music. "Excuse me?" he asked, having seen Ed's mouth move.

"Nothing."

"No, what'd you say?" his friend demanded.

Ed was still glaring. "I didn't say anything."

* * *

"I agree, Eddie," Cha-Cha commented, placing her arm around his shoulders. David still didn't know what Ed had said, or what Cha-Cha was agreeing to. He could guess though, and it only pissed him off further.

"Gee, thanks Ed. After six years of friendship...you choose that?" he rose his eyebrows. One or two of the more sober men were beginning to realize what was going on, stopping their hooting immediately.

* * *

"What the hell is your problem? I'm not choosing her over you. Or any of you," he added, taking a moment to glance at Mark, who he could tell an hour ago had sided with David. "There is no all or nothing decision being made."

"Really?" David crossed his arms. "You disappearing for months at a time says different."

Ed couldn't believe he was going over this again. "I explained that to you _how_ many times? A murder charge can't be put on the back burner for a night out."

"_Before_ that. What were you doing three months ago? Five months ago?"

"You know how hard it is..._was_ for me to find someone and keep them for longer than a month or two with that schedule. I had to bend over backwards to find time to see her."

"Thanks for not putting even a fraction of that effort into seeing us." Ed squeezed the tabletop with one hand, afraid he'd hurt Cha-Cha if he continued to squeeze her. "Bros before hoes, man."

"Steve! I need you to dance with Cha-Cha."

* * *

Cha-Cha was beginning to wonder how drunk David really was. He seemed to be thinking pretty clearly. Then again, maybe him being drunk was why he was being such a jerk? "What's _that_ supposed to mean?" she asked, her butt not leaving Ed's lap despite Steve's insistance. She'd dance with him when she was good and ready.

* * *

Ed was thinking the same thing. There were plenty of empty bottles around, but who knew which man they belonged to. Was his plan to blame being drunk for what he said?

"It's a figure of speech, kid." Mark had finally joined in.

"Similar to chicks before _dicks_?" asked Ed. As tense a moment as it was, Vaughn couldn't help snickering quietly. "If you knew we were coming why didn't you just stay home?"

"I wasn't gonna ditch the guys like you did."

"I didn-and you wonder why I stopped coming? Listen to yourself! And alright, Sam couldn't make it. Roy's out of town. Who knows where Kyle is tonight. Are they gonna get this same welcome if they show up next week?" It wasn't like Ed was the only one to have ever missed a night. Plenty didn't come a few in a row. "I don't think so." Was him missing a few nights really what this was about? Did he just have a problem with Cha-Cha? Some fun, relaxing night this ended up being. Ed sighed, "God, I'd take Grace over this anytime."

"Huh?" they both asked. Ed just shook his head angrily.

* * *

She knew it was a figure of speech, thanks. She also knew she wasn't a hoe. Figure of speech or not, she could tell David believed every word he was saying.

Cha-Cha could whole-heartedly agree with Ed. As bad as Grace seemed to be, she really wasn't this bad, when you figured. Even if they wanted to see Cha-Cha more, they understood. They didn't blame Ed for taking her time. They'd do the same thing if it were them. "I'd say Grace and David would get along, actually," she spoke as though David wasn't in the room. It pissed people off, as she'd learned in the past. "Except he's a dick. I wouldn't wish him on my best friend." The men had learned better now not to 'oooh' after every insult.

* * *

The group hadn't known what to do and had just watched, but Vaughn was getting as tired of this as Ed was. "David, Mark, just suck it up and deal. I'm sick of this bullshit."

"Typical. Ed can do no wrong, right?" David asked sarcastically. "It's sad how you two trip over yourselves to keep the other one happy-" both of them tensed and began protesting but he continued louder "-and yet you deny there's anything going on. I'm sick of _that_."

* * *

Something going on? What...he didn't mean...like that, did he? How dumb could this man get? Vaughn was straight. Ed was gay. Both were very much taken. It just didn't work that way. "Don't get all hurt because they like each other better than you," Cha-Cha pouted, sighing. What a stupid thing to suggest. Like she'd fall for that? Besides, the way they were acting, couldn't they say the same thing about him and Mark?

* * *

With Vaughn involved, Ed's other friends were less hesitant to say something. "You're going to have more than Ed and Cha-Cha mad at you if you aren't careful," Jackson commented.

"Oh _you_ would join in. You who-"

"Shut up," Ed snapped. He was tired of the Ed and Jackson are still pining after each other theory.

* * *

Cha-Cha didn't even know what to make of this anymore. Was he jealous of Ed? She didn't know what he was going to say to Jackson, but it wasn't hard to figure out. "I don't know what's sadder," she commented, trying to hide how angry she was. That wasn't always a strength of her's. "That your think Ed's screwing the whole group behind my back...or that you're jealous of that, when it's not even true," her teeth clenched in her mouth, and she gently began prying Ed's hand off the table. Trying to, anyway. She needed something comforting.

* * *

Ed was relieved the lies didn't phase her for a second.

"You think it's such a far fetched idea? He had every Tuesday off. Ask him what he was doing."

Ed hesitated for several seconds. "If I had a Tuesday off I was with her." But that pause was all David needed to smile sourly.

"Oh sure," David nodded.

* * *

Ed was with her, though. Most of the time. He was when they started getting really serious anyway. Couldn't expect him to drop everything when they barely knew each other. "Why do you think I'd believe you over Ed?" she asked, readjusting herself on his lap. Steve finally sat down awkwardly, seeing that the lady's mind was made up. "He was with me alot of the time. And even when he wasn't--hell, they're friends! I go out and see mine all the time, but I'm _pretty sure_ I'm not sleeping with Ivana!"

* * *

That Tuesday thing had been an obvious attempt to unsettle Cha-Cha. Ed had no idea what he'd been talking about. Clearly David was trying to mess this relationship up. Ed was ready to just leave.

"I heard the likes of you travel in packs."

Mark nodded. "_Female _impersonators in packs like _dogs_. There's a term for that, isn't there?"

Did they just imply she was a bitch? Ed let go of the table, picked Cha-Cha up and set her on her feet and stood in one second. "This conversation is over. Leave." He changed his mind about being the one to go home.

"You can't order us out of here."

"_You_ can take it somewhere else or _we_ can take it outside."

David scoffed, but was visibly surprised and not prepared for that reaction. "You think this is worth the effort of fighting?"

"Apparently you do." Ed had told him several times to cool it.

* * *

Cha-Cha's stomach was hurting a bit, and she didn't protest when Ed set her on her feet. Not like she could if she'd tried. Not like he'd listen, not like she'd want to stop him. The last comment had stung, but she'd had worse. Stormy and her crew were never worth getting upset about, and she was trying to convince herself that David and Mark weren't either. But no matter what she thought, they did matter more than some tired old queens. What reason did they have to hate her?

"Ed, they are not worth fighting," she forced out through clenched teeth. Ed could rip them apart if he wanted to, for all she cared. But how much satisfaction would they be getting from that? "I hear worse every day, baby, let's just head home, okay?" she added, in an attempt to calm both of them down.

The rest of the men were confused with what to do, shocked that this could be happening on such a good night. David's opinion seemed to be the minority, however, most of the men already taken with Ed's new girlfriend. "I think you should do what he says, Dave," Tom suggested with wide eyes, not wanting to see his friends tear each other apart.

* * *

It wasn't the worst insult in the world. But they'd just been asking for it all night. Yeah she'd heard worse but it wasn't supposed to be coming from someone they knew. Not a friend. He sighed and agreed with Cha-Cha.

"Ed, you don't ha-" He held a hand up to stop Brent. He wanted away from Mark and David. He said goodbye to those who still deserved it. At the door he apologized to Cha-Cha for his friends and for overreacting.

* * *

"It's okay, honey," Cha-Cha promised him, sighing deeply. Through the throngs of dancers, you could see the party was breaking up anyway. Steve was standing with jacket in hand, Tom ready to follow after. Brent seemed to be finishing off his drink as quickly as possible, while Jackson was already half way across the floor. Only David and Mark remained, looking just as pleasant as they had all night. Jackson was headed towards them, and she closed her eyes. "If it's okay with you, I think I wanna head home anyway," she added. To comfort him and to work on feeling better.

* * *

"It's late," he said, unsure of the time. But that would be their excuse.

Vaughn appeared suddenly from the right. He looked to David, then rolled his eyes. Ed shrugged, and that was enough to get their points across. "It was great meeting you," he said to Cha-Cha. "I hope next time we see you it's a smaller crowd so I can get an extra dance in." In other words, let's do this again without those two.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled tiredly, nodding her head. "You too. Definitely," she agreed. Sleeping would be good right now, but she wanted to take Ed home first. Make sure he was okay. This was probably even worse on him. Obviously he must've cared about David and Mark at some point. Probably still did. She didn't want to end the night before making sure he felt better.

* * *

Vaughn gave her a quick hug goodbye, Jackson waved, and Ed didn't feel like waiting for the rest. They'd all say the same thing anyway. He held the door open for her. After looping an arm around her waist and muttering a few things to himself he didn't talk much during the walk home. He was torn between fuming and feeling humiliated. His friends really let him down.

* * *

Cha-Cha didn't try to make conversation yet, even though she could tell he was hurting. Before long they were back home, and she held onto his waist on the elevator ride. "I really like Vaughn," she commented finally, hoping it would cheer him up in some way. "And Tom and Steve and Brent. And Jackson."

* * *

"Yeah it's a pretty good group for the most part." They arrived at their floor. "Normally the night would go a lot smoother." Jammed his key into the lock to let themselves into their apartment. Of course for the first time in the eight or nine years he'd lived there it decided to be finicky tonight. If he had his gun he'd just shoot the damn thing. But he took the key out and tried again. Worked the second time.

* * *

Cha-Cha watched him, rubbing his back as he worked on the key. She closed the door with a soft click once they were finally in, approaching him slowly. She stood in front of him, watching his face. "Whatcha thinking, baby?" she asked. "If you want to tell me."

* * *

He was going over the conversation in his head and getting himself worked up the more he tried to put it out of his mind. "I'm thinking...I owe you an apology." He felt a little responsible. He had had a feeling that David might say something. No idea it'd turn into what it did though. Plus, "I encouraged him. I should have just gone for another dance the moment he started."

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, shaking her head. "It's not your fault, honey. Don't apologize." She took a step towards him, putting a hand on his cheek, before sliding it down to wrap her arms around his neck. "It's not your fault, what your friends do. And it wasn't even that bad, I promise."

* * *

"It's just...embarrassing. At least your girls were subtle." She was the one insulted, and she was making him feel better? That made him feel selfish. He held her hips as he kissed her. "I think the Tuesday thing is what got me. I have no idea what that was about." That and his last comment about her. But still, he was utterly lost as to what that could be referencing, and had to conclude it was a stupid ploy to upset them.

* * *

"I know. But...just for the record, I take your word over David and Mark's. You've spent tons of Tuesdays with me, and even still...you're allowed to see your friends," she shook her head with a frown. "They must be pretty lonely if they think that's uncommon," she added with a smirk.

* * *

"Implying where I was wasn't the only thing though. I didn't even get every Tuesday off. He might have been misunderstanding how I spent my time, but that..." He sighed. "Anyway. I love you, like I promised." Whether his friends liked her or not.

* * *

"I know you do, honey. I love you too," Cha-Cha whispered, her arms tight around him. She couldn't think of any reason for David and Mark's reaction, but it didn't matter. It was time to put them out of their minds. "Do you want to sit down?" she asked softly. She wouldn't make him talk if he didn't want to, but she wanted him to be comfortable.

* * *

"I'd rather lay down," he laughed. "I haven't moved that much in weeks." Ed wasn't really exhausted but laying down would still be nice. He'd gone from angry to that 'I just don't get it' phase. Be quiet for a while and then question something. He felt bad and wondered if he was getting annoying, but he couldn't help thinking about it.

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, leading him toward the bedroom gently. She'd still suggest the couch, seeing as the bedroom could lead to other, even more tiring activities, but she wanted room to spread out if he wanted it. Not that she was expecting him to want it, though. This was the first time she'd ever really seen him upset, and hadn't felt guilty in any part.

* * *

No he didn't want to spread out. Ed hugged her close against him. Mark and David didn't have anything like this waiting for them at home. Maybe Ed was the one who retreated but he really felt like he was the winner. He kissed her softly, not the kind that would lead to more for the moment. "I swear next time I see Grace I'm giving her a hug and thanking her for being such a good friend to you," he laughed, knowing he probably wouldn't actually touch her.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, just picturing it. "And she'd think you'd finally gone nuts," she added, shaking her head, arms tight around him. Though to be honest, Grace would probably return the hug. It would still be Edward Green with his arms around her, something that not many people would pass up. "I think they are getting used to you though, in some way. Rusty always asks how you're doing. Grace...well she doesn't frown when I mention you anymore. We're getting there," she cheered softly, taking his hands.

* * *

"Yes we are. And I'm happy with how she reacted now. Obviously things could have been worse with her." He sighed. "I'll have the rest come here next time. Watch who we run into for a while."

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded. "Well, like I said, I really did like alot of your friends. Vaughn's a sweetheart," she assured him. He didn't even ask any stupid straight person questions, like Ed had worried about. "Just those two. And you said you didn't even like David anyway..." she added, wondering how he actually felt about those two.

* * *

"Well yeah but I was expecting him to just ignore you," he admitted. "Or have a Grace-ish attitude and just dance you away from him. Actually Vaughn and I thought he'd at least pretend to be fine." Frustrating. "I'm surprised Tom didn't follow us home."

* * *

"Tom is also amazing," Cha-Cha added, jumping onto happy topics. Trying to cheer him up. Had they had enough David and Mark for one night? "I like Vaughn's idea from earlier. Another get together, but you make the guest list."

* * *

"Why don't you make it," he suggested. Whoever she felt comfortable around. "Although I have a feeling what it would be anyway. Although a few weren't there tonight that I think would like you." He'd call and ask a few questions first this time.

* * *

Cha-cha nodded, an idea striking her. "I could even invite the girls, too. Make it a big party-like thing. All the guest stars of the Ed and Cha-Cha show," she laughed, shaking her head. If there was an Ed and Cha-Cha show. "Actually..." a thought struck her, and she pushed it off to the side. "Never mind."

* * *

"What?" he asked. Anything that got a 'never mind' was always worth hearing. Even if it was a crazy idea, they were worth hearing.

* * *

Cha-Cha's lips were sealed, but she was smiling through it anyway. "No Eddie," she refused, placing a hand over her mouth. This never worked out well. "Let's just say I usually have a party in August. Around the Nineteenth," she got out before she could stop herself. Who would actually want to tell the world they were turning twenty-six, she didn't know, but it was an anti-depressant.

* * *

That wasn't hard to get out of her at all, he thought amused. "Cha-Cha you're supposed to be happy when days like that come around. You get stuff." And she could be the center of attention without any question or complaint.

* * *

"I know I get stuff. I get wrinkles and grey hairs and _flab_, Ed," Cha-Cha protested. And jewellery sometimes too when she was dating somebody. But that wasn't part of the big picture. "I'm getting older, Eddie. I won't even get to have birthday cake this year cause the metabolism's slowin down and it would go straight to my thighs," she ran a hand through her hair. Drama queen, much. As if a silly thing like that would seperate Cha-Cha and cake.

* * *

"Sweetheart that's what I'm here for. I'll help you work it off." Always willing to help her out. "And you're still young, you know. I'd kill to be your age again. Though if that were so you'd be around twelve..."

* * *

"Thirteen," Cha-Cha reminded him. Of course, she'd probably still find him attractive, even at that young an age. "Don't get me wrong; I like seeing my friends and I love getting presents. But...I'm past the mid-way mark now, Ed. And once you turn thirty, there's no turning back. You're a geezer," she sighed pathetically.

* * *

"There's still _four years_ until you turn thirty. That's a really long time." He'd given up trying to explain how reaching forty was much worse. "And you don't just age over night," he smiled. "You'll still look the twenty one for a while." Maybe she looked more like twenty four, but he'd stick with twenty one. That's not a lie, that's love.

* * *

"That's not true, mister. My mami aged right overnight. One day she could pass for early fourties, next day boom, she was all of her fifty years," she informed him. Of course, the dark circles and grey hairs happened right around the time she caught her son in drag. Nevermind. Cha-Cha sighed, the topic of age depressing her. "Will you still love me when I'm...thirty two?" she asked hopefully. And when she was sixty four? And ninety-six?

* * *

"Of course babe. I'm in this for your personality. The fact you're hot is just a bonus." He was the one who'd fall apart first. But his dad aged well, so he was hoping he would too.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, nodding. If she weren't so worried, she'd blush. "When do you think I'll stop being hot?" she asked. Just so she had an approxamate. She was banking on thirty five being the cutoff, herself, leaving her with...a bit less than ten years.

* * *

"You'll always be attractive." The word 'hot' didn't usually apply to older people, but she'd still be beautiful. "Compared to me you'll be amazing."

* * *

That one made Cha-Cha blush. "Aw, baby. You're not so bad," she promised. A total understatement, but she had a feeling he knew. How could he not know he was gorgeous? "And you know something else?" she added, a new thought coming to her. It had nothing to do with aging, really, or being attractive, but it was just as pleasant a thought.

* * *

"You promise to visit when I'm in assisted living?" She'd be fine and he'd be some little old man. Okay did she see how she had the better end of this deal yet?

* * *

Cha-Cha wouldn't just visit him, she'd probably serve him the mushy peaches herself. "Mmhmm," she got out between laughs. "And also...I can see myself still knowing you when we're that old...and still, you know...being together when we're that old," she was still smiling softly.

* * *

He touched his nose to hers. "I should hope so. How am I supposed to get to shuffleboard on time without you?" He was teasing her, but on the inside he was jumping for joy. She said it, not him!

* * *

Cha-Cha giggled, pressing her forehead to his. This wasn't a promise. Things changed everyday, and somethings you just couldn't foresee. But in the grand scheme of things...if she were going to be with someone ten years from them, she saw no reason why it wouldn't be him. Twenty, thirty, hell, even fourty years ahead, there was no reason why it shouldn't be him. It wasn't a promise, but it was a more than she'd ever thought about any other man. "I'll be there," she whispered.

* * *

He kissed her briefly. "Good." Even if they downgraded to friends eventually, he'd be happy. Not as happy, but he didn't want them to split and never talk again like some of his past lovers. Most of them, actually. "But back to this moment, is there anything I can say to convince you you're not going to change much next month?"

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed dramatically. "Sure. Make me twenty again." Was that so much to ask? Surely she could be granted that one little wish. God had to owe her some type of favour, right?

* * *

"Something humanly possible, maybe?" he asked. "Besides then I'd be almost twenty years older and my sister would really want to kill me." She hadn't been happy with what it was now.

* * *

Cha-Cha laughed, shrugging. "She doesn't like the age difference?" she guessed. It wasn't that big. But then again, she was used to dating older men. Most of them older than Ed. Some over twice her age.

* * *

"She doesn't complain about it a lot. And she's fine for the most part now. But when I initially told her she was shocked. I don't normally go this far off from my age. Personally I think it's more out of concern for you than me," he admitted, rolling his eyes.

* * *

"It's not that far off," Cha-Cha reminded him. She didn't know she was a rarity for him. Aside from the drag queen factor. "Why?" she asked with a giggle. So what if Ed was older? If anything, she'd be safer with him. Younger guys could be so immature sometimes.

* * *

"I don't know. Just thinks you'd be better off with someone closer to you. More stuff in common I guess. But I like how you're so different from me. I've dated carbon copies of myself. It was too...predictable." Not boring! Okay it sort of was...

* * *

"Yeah, you are pretty predictable," Cha-Cha teased. Not really. Well, not for her, seeing as he was so different from her. She didn't know what he'd do next. But if he could say it, she could say it. "But that's okay. I like a little predictability in my life." For as crazy as her personality was, she liked having someone who could balance her out a bit. Ed was that person.

* * *

In his opinion it had felt predictable because like he said, it was himself. You would know what you would do. It wasn't just him.

"I try not to be too bad." The necklace had surprised her. A few times in the early months he got closer to her outside their apartment than he should have.

* * *

"And you're not, I guess. But I like you a little predictable," Cha-Cha said truthfully, kissing his cheek. If he still stayed amazing in ninety years, she'd still want to be close to him. See, predictability wasn't really such a bad thing!

* * *

"I like you the way you are, _I guess_," he said jokingly. Ed knew what she meant. He sobered a little. "So a year isn't asking too much?"

* * *

"How do you mean?" Cha-Cha asked softly. They'd been together...almost a year. That was more than anybody had ever gotten before. But she didn't mind giving it to him. A year. That sounded like a long time, but it had gone amazingly fast.

* * *

"In August I'll have known you a year. In...was in October when we decided we were actually dating? Soon it'll have been a year of seeing each other. We up for round two?" Dreaming being together until they fell apart was nice, but in reality they needed to go one step at a time.

* * *

Cha-Cha thought back, agreeing with his numbers. It was around October. Maybe early November. And it seemed like they had gone ridiculously slowly. Maybe that was why they'd lasted so long. And they showed no sign of stopping. Cha-Cha looked at him, entwining her fingers with his slowly. "Ready if you are," she said honestly, a hint of a smile on her lips.

* * *

Ed grinned, squeezing her affectionately. "Exactly what I wanted to hear." This was turning out to be a pretty good night after all.

* * *

Cha-Cha returned the smile, trailing her hand up to rest on the back of his neck. "You don't even have to ask, baby," she promised, leaning up to kiss him. If she wanted to leave, she'd leave. That didn't seem like a big possibility with him. She'd stay by him as long as he wanted her.

* * *

Ed returned the kiss happily but didn't try to deepen in. Not yet anyway. Instead he shifted onto his side. "But if I do, you get the illusion you're in control."

* * *

Cha-Cha rose an eyebrow, giggling. "Oh, it's an illusion, is it?" she teased. "You just keep thinking that, poor baby." As if he were in control. He may have been the bigger person, but there was no question who wore the proverbial pants in the relationship.

* * *

He could resist her if he tried. Be the dominant one if he really wanted to. His career had been based on his ability to intimidate and command. But he enjoyed how they were. And if he one day started bossing her around he could only imagine how that would go over. "Are you tired at all?" he asked, knowing it was off topic.

* * *

"Yeah, sort of," Cha-Cha replied. Tired from the fighting, if anything. She was used to dancing the night away. Stretching out a bit, she wondered if it would rain again that night. She hadn't gotten to look at the skies before it'd gotten dark. Ed was pretty distracting all day.

* * *

"Do you wanna take a nap?" Although it was late enough that if they went to sleep they probably wouldn't get up until tomorrow. "Or can you think of something to talk about?" Anything aside from tonight.

* * *

Cha-Cha thought about it, shrugging. "Wouldn't be much of a nap at....eleven o clock at night," she leaned up slightly to check the time. "But it's too early to go to sleep, too. So...you think a birthday party would be good? Or do you think it'd be better to have something on your birthday?" she paused. "When _is_ your birthday?" she asked, shocked she didn't know.

* * *

"I think we should do something for you. It'd be fun. And what else are we going to do? Would you want my friends there? Because one of them asked if you had single friends," he laughed. "My birthday isn't important darling, we're focusing on you."

* * *

"Of course they would. Well...my dad usually sees my around then too. Don't think I'd want him to come to a party involving my girls and alchohal, though," Cha-Cha giggled, shaking her head. They freaked him out enough when they were sober. "I know we're focusing on me, we always do that. But when is it, so I know?"

* * *

"January 18th," he answered. "We've got a while to go until we start thinking of me. So would you want people here, or go out and do something?"

* * *

"January eighteenth?" Cha-Cha's eyes narrowed. Wait a minute. "I knew you on January eighteenth of this year. We were dating then," she reminded him. And he didn't tell her? She slapped his arm gently, annoyed. "I dunno. Where would we go? We could do something at the club," she thought. Maybe after a show one night? Or at a show?

* * *

He'd gone out with friends. Accidentally. He'd worked that day and stopped in a bar for a drink and ran into some people. He really didn't have an excuse for not telling her. "Yeah, well..." Think of something! "We could do whatever you want. Your day, after all."

* * *

Cha-Cha huffed. "Did I see you on that day? I can't remember. I can't believe that, Ed. So how old are you actually, thirty eight or thirty nine?" He said thirty eight on their first date, but some people rounded up if their birthday was soon enough. Why they would do that, Cha-Cha would never know.

* * *

"Of course you saw me that day, _sweetheart_." Love of my life who never gets angry. "But I didn't feel like doing much, I'd had a hard case that week." That was true. He and Lennie had had a triple homicide. Not a very nice present.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, rolling ino her stomach, still facing him. "So how old are you?" she asked again. She was turning twenty six that year. If there was a thirteen year age gap...he'd be thirty nine. Which was a year older than she'd always thought he was!

* * *

"Thirty nine." Though look who was talking. No one really knew how old she was. She'd been twenty one for five years.

* * *

"Thirty nine?" Cha-Cha sighed, annoyed. "All along I thought you were thirty eight. Do you know what this means, Ed? You're going to be fourty in...four months!!" she exclaimed. In case he hadn't figured that out for himself. "That's huge!"

* * *

Ed fell face first into a pillow. "I don't want to think about it any more than _you_ want to think about turning twenty six," he said, voice muffled. "I refuse to be over the hill. Over the hill and unemployed. And I don't even get a good midlife crisis! I've already had it! Because as far as I'm considered you can't get much worse than last month." Why couldn't he be the type to splurge on a car he didn't need?

* * *

Cha-Cha rolled her eyes, rolling onto her side again. "Honey," she coaxed, putting a hand on the back of his neck, stroking the back of his hair. "You're not going over-the-hill. You already are," she snickered to herself before realizing that was mean. "No seriously though. Over-the-hill is like...fifty-five, at least. You're still the youngest guy I've been with in a while." Not totally true, but that _wasn't a lie, that was love_

!

* * *

"It's forty. Any Hallmark store will tell you the same." If she even thought about getting him a card that referenced that... He turned his face toward her. "And I appreciate that," he said about being the youngest she'd dated, "but that doesn't really make me feel better." He might be young in her opinion, but in his he was still old.

* * *

Cha-Cha huffed. "I don't get that. You're standing on the hill, if anything. You're Maria, Ed!" she added, hoping to make him feel better. And equating him to Julie Andrews would do that? Yes. Yes it would. Hey, he admitted to loving the Sound of Music on their first date. If he was Maria, he got to kiss Christopher Plummer. Good tidings all around.

* * *

Ed looked at her, utterly lost. He hadn't followed the jump from his miserable existence to happy go lucky musical. "What are you talking about?" he asked. Maria? Cha-Cha really was crazy.

* * *

"Cause Maria's on the hill...the hill that's alive with the sound of music. She's not over that hill, she's on it. Twirling and singing. Like you are," Cha-Cha explained. How long had he known her again? She had odd logic. What else was new?

* * *

Ed was able to piece together the analogy. Strange. Since when did he twirl and sing? The point was lost on him, unable to see how that had any relevance to his situation. Instead of relieved he felt annoyed that she wasn't making sense, in his opinion, and settled for wordlessly draping an arm over her as he rolled to lay on his stomach.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, moving in closer to him. "You don't get it. _The point is_, you're not that old yet. I don't think you are, and you shouldn't think you are. You've got no wrinkles, I can't even find a grey hair," she paused and ran a finger through his hair gently. There may have been one or two, but he didn't need to know that yet. "And you're in the best shape of your life. Trust me, you might feel like an old man, but you don't look it," that wasn't a lie. "And...you don't even act like an old man. So how about, you're not old till I say so? Cause I know you best, Ed, and you're not old."

* * *

She'd told him several times she thought he was. He hadn't forgotten that. But... "Okay." Not really convinced, but she wouldn't give up any time soon, that he knew. "If you insist, I'll take your word for it." He kissed her neck, always good to get his mind off talking.

* * *

Cha-Cha smiled, tilting her head. "I make fun of you all I want Ed, but I'm not kidding. You've got a whole lotta life ahead of you." She closed her eyes, rubbing the back of his neck. "And besides. I already decided I'm gonna love you anyway. Even when you're so old....you can't even kiss me, cause the lack of air suffocates you. And forget about alone time, cause the senior's home has a strict curfew," she giggled, imagining it. Their time would be up before anything else would be. And speaking of that...nothing else would be. "But I'd still love you so much, I'd probably move in with you at the old folk's home," that, and because they'd run her life better than she herself could do it. Imagine waking up and having all your activities planned for you? Not to mention getting jello at the end of the day? Hello, retirement.

* * *

Ed didn't say what he was thinking. He was already being moody, he knew when to cool it. "I know I've got a lot of life ahead and stuff, I'm just happy you have to get older while you live. It went too fast."

He sighed. "I'm sorry I'm ruining what was supposed to be your birthday brainstorming moment. It's just it wouldn't be so bad if...well, I mean it wouldn't feel so _over_ if I had my career to focus on. I can't go through the motions of living and enjoying days with Lennie. I can only go 'remember when'. And you aren't supposed to 'remember when' until you're old and retire. And I know I should be used to this by now," he hadn't worked in how long now?, "but it's hard to let go."

* * *

It was harder for Cha-Cha to understand. She'd never really focused on a career before, and couldn't relate to the pain of losing it. But at the same time, she could get losing something huge like that. She imagined it would be like a breakup. It took her forever to get over Scott, and that had been only after three months together. This was nine years. Maybe more. "I know it is," she sighed, rubbing his back gently. "Maybe...I dunno. Maybe you've gotta focus on something else. Like...a hobby, or...something else that regular people do." She loved Ed to death, but maybe he needed to focus on something else now. She didn't believe in signs and all that...but maybe this marked some sort of...transition in his life?

A transition into what though, she didn't know. What did other normal people do, besides a career? Friends, he had. Lover, he had. Family?

* * *

"I've got you to focus on," he said, chuckling at last. "Can I count you as a hobby?" By definition it was something you did regularly. "Seriously though, I'd like to just live with you full time. Not worry about working and getting attached to anything." He didn't consider it giving up. Just...not carrying on... "But I can only lie around for so long and then we lose the apartment." The annoying thing about life needing money. But if they didn't do anything but stay home, he could actually afford quiet a while.

* * *

"You should get paid for living with me. You work enough," Cha-Cha decided, giggling. Physical labour, as well as mental problems, like figuring out her logic. And it even tested his acting skills, when she asked if she looked fat for the fiftieth time. "So what are you gonna do?" she asked finally. Yes, he needed a job unless they won the lottery. But she didn't want to see him get consumed with working, either. He'd feely admitted to her that he didn't do much of anything before he met her, besides work. She didn't want to see that happen to him.

* * *

For Ed though, he was used to all or nothing. 'Part time' and any words near the same meaning were foreign. It gave him something to do all day. Normally he had nothing better planned. "I don't know. There's always the easy way out of this problem." Dad in Virginia. She shot the idea down whenever he brought it up, but really it was the easiest solution.

* * *

It took her a minute to remember what that was. "Oh Ed, not Virginia," she groaned, curling in a bit closer to him. She liked New York, and didn't want to move. She also liked him, and didn't want to get left alone. "Why do you want to work for him anyway? You know he'll only treat you like crap."

* * *

"I _know_ Cha-Cha, and I don't _want_ to, but I'm running out of options. It's been a few months. I can't find anything here." Up to his standards. He knew he was being too picky, but he couldn't help it. Him, have a gopher job? No way. He already did years starting at the bottom with a pitiful pay and bad hours. "It's been a month since we got back and they still hound me about it. Apparently they'd really give me what they offered." Twice what an inexperienced beginner ought to receive. "If mom's guilt tripping him into it why not take advantage of it?" Yes he felt absolutely fine with that. "You wouldn't have to move down there."

* * *

"I don't want to go to Virginia," Cha-Cha told him. "But I don't want you to go, either." Couldn't they just stay in New York for awhile? There had to be something he could do. Even if it was outside the city, it was better than having to go to Virginia. "I know, but...that's basically telling your parent you can't survive without them. When you did that just fine for ten years."

* * *

"Over ten years. I've already proved I can do it." But he knew what she meant, and wasn't really dying to go home. "Well then can you give me something more to go off of than 'No Virginia, find something else'? Because I feel stuck." He was stubborn and wasn't impressed by what he'd found so far.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, leaning in to kiss his neck. What? If he could do it to get out of talking, so could she. "I don't know," she admitted, nuzzling just below his ear. "But there's gotta be something in this state that would be acceptable. Or at least...not ten hours away."

* * *

They kept saying that, yet he always ended up the same way. Home with nothing. But he welcomed this distraction ploy. Talk about work could slowly fade away. "Why don't we just see how long we can keep the apartment at our current rate?" he said, not a serious suggestion at all. "We could make it to the next guilt Christmas check without a problem. I think one of the biggest reasons I can't fine a job is that they want me to actually show up. Which means I couldn't be laying here with you. And where's the fun in that?" Why couldn't they hire him and pay him to stay home? That would be so much easier.

Hold on. "It's possible to work from home..."

* * *

Cha-Cha paused with her lips against his skin, smiling slowly. "I like that idea," she nodded. Why not? He had a computer. He could probably, hopefully resist her for a couple hours during the day. "What could you do from home?"

* * *

"I could find something." It had just popped into his head. He'd have to look into before seriously considering it. But being paid to stay home with her was very appealing. There had to be one online job he could live with, right?

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, thinking about it. "And you know, if you got one of those...lapped top computers, you could use it right here," she pointed out, and curled up to his side to illustrate her point. He could make money while cuddling with her. Was she a genius or what?

* * *

"Would you really let me work?" He was doubtful. One of them wouldn't let it last long. Though if he just stayed there all day, little by little something would get done, right? "But you know we'd never leave the apartment. I mean look at us now. It'd be worse, if possible." Somehow the threat of their laziness doubling didn't really cancel out working with her on his lap or laying beside him or...

* * *

"I might. Sometimes. If I was sleeping," Cha-Cha grinned. She heard was he was saying about increased laziness. She didn't see what was so wrong with that. "What's your point?" she asked, rubbing his stomach gently and staying close to him. Working at home was looking like a very good option.

* * *

"This is exactly my point," he said, pointing to her hand. Ed let out an amused sigh and got his arms around her waist. "I'd probably have to do it at the table. Nothing would get down if I were here." He smiled and kissed her shortly. "But being paid to be with you...I'll have to look into this."

* * *

"...your tummy is the point?" Cha-Cha asked with a giggle. "Yeah, I guess it would get bigger if you stayed in with me all day. But I'd help you work it off," she reminded him with a grin. Okay, so he needed to get out and have some sort of life. But he had her! They could be losers together! Laughing, she kissed his neck gently and rested her head against his shoulder. "I think you should. It's better than having to move to Virginia, to work with a man you hate."

* * *

"I meant you on me as the point," he laughed. "I can't concentrate when you're around. But yes, I'd need help exercising. And about Virginia, do you really hate the idea that much?"

* * *

"It's not that I hate it," Cha-Cha conditioned. "I just...really really don't like it. It's too far away, and it's your dad. And I just moved in with you here. It just...seems like too far to go and too much trouble, when there are other options here." Of course, Virginia would pay better, but like he said, another guilt check would be coming in just a few months. Unless he wanted to spend the time with his parents...

* * *

"Well how about we see if this new idea works out, but not entirely drop Virginia? I really don't like it either. I'm hoping for anything but that." He wanted her to keep talking him out of it. Long enough to see if he could actually work from home.

* * *

Cha-Cha sighed, but nodded slowly. As a compromise, it worked. But she really didn't want him to move to Virginia. "I like this idea, though," she said, in case she hadn't already.

* * *

"Me too. I'll check it out in the morning." Ed made his final shifts for now, getting ready to fall asleep soon. After he yawned he kissed her. "Time for bed?"

* * *

Cha-Cha nodded, climbing out to get ready. "Did the dancing wear you out?" she asked with a grin, grabbing her PJs. He was a good dancer, though. They'd definitely have to go again. It would have been nice to that night, but obviously they were too busy on their way out. It wouldn't have been wise to stick around any longer.

* * *

"It was one of a few things. I didn't get a lot of sleep the night before, busy all day with you..." To name a few. Though several were enjoyable and he wouldn't mind being worn out from them again. He didn't bother climbing out after her. He was comfortable and staying put.

* * *

Cha-Cha paused as she remembered the day's events, and rolled her eyes. "Oh right. No wonder I'm beat. I barely got any sleep last night," she reminded him. She still couldn't believe he'd woken her up at 3AM. Or was that the storm that did that? Whichever it was, he kept her up, which was even worse. Sure, the hour of lost sleep was worth it, but he didn't need to know that. "I don't know about you, but I'm good for a couple days now. I won't need to jump you till...like, next week sometime," she smirked to herself. That would be the day.

* * *

"Hey, we made a deal in Virginia remember? I got permission to pounce on you whenever I wanted." He hadn't forgotten that. Or failed to take advantage since then.

* * *

"No we didn't," Cha-Cha responded quickly. He wasn't supposed to remember that. He wasn't supposed to take that seriously. Itr was said in the heat of the moment, she would've said anything at that point! That was hardly fair! "I have no recollection of what you're talking about. Whatsoever. But if I did, it sounds like something I would have said, but not meant. Therefore you were just...taking advantage of me while I was vulnerable." She could always turn it back on him.

* * *

He watched her go off to get ready, calling after with, "That's not what I remember. You were dragging me off the beautiful beach, practically running back to the room. And you absolutely promised me sex whenever I wanted. A dumb thing to do, but I'm glad you did. Lucky for you, I feel like sleeping tonight."

* * *

Cha-Cha pretended not to hear him, brushing her teeth quickly and shutting off the bathroom light. Maybe if she stopped bringing it up, he'd forget. "Well, I don't do dumb things," she reminded him, climbing into bed beside him. "So you're obviously making it up. Nice try, baby," she kissed his cheek, grinning.

* * *

Ed chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. "Whatever you say, hun." She would pretend to forget. "Good night."

* * *

Author Note: We know sex won't be mind blowing every time in real life. Luckily in fiction it can be!


End file.
